Time Change Tips

Do you have a consistent sleep routine in place?

Many people are feeling drained in the afternoons/early evenings. That’s partially because our daylight hours are now shorter, causing our circadian rhythm to respond to the dimmer evenings by releasing melatonin sooner. And that’s not ideal when the sun sets at 4:55 PM - since most people haven’t even left the office yet.

Researchers say it can take our body up to one week or more to adjust to daylight saving time. That’s only if you have a consistent sleep routine in place - and 50 to 70 million Americans don’t have that down yet. Here are a few tips that may help you change that:

• Go to bed and get up at the same time every day (even weekends).
• Get seven to nine hours of consistent sleep every night.
• If you struggle to fall asleep, make sure you go to bed earlier to accommodate that wind down time so it doesn’t cut into your seven to nine hours.
• Limit or eliminate screen time one hour before bedtime.
• Skip added sugary snacks - especially late in the day. Sugar crashes intensify fatigue and cause more disruption to your circadian rhythm.
• Make your bedroom a place to sleep so your body knows it’s a place to sleep, not be entertained and stay awake. There are numerous studies about this that are fascinating in the way our brain responds to environment.

Did You Know? 

Losing an hour of sleep can take a serious toll on your well-being. The shift to daylight saving time has been linked to an uptick in heart attacks, strokes, traffic fatalities, and workplace injuries - and some sleep experts have called for an end to the back-and forth change. Daylight saving time was shortly eliminated in 1970, but many complained about going to work and going home in the dark. Two years later, it was reinstated.