With the time change now past us, most of us are probably struggling to adjust and adapt to daylight savings time. Maybe that first morning felt good with an extra hour of sleep, but what happened when you tried to go to bed Sunday night and weren’t able to fall asleep until later than expected?
More and more evidence is coming out that moving the clocks twice a year is not good for certain aspects of our health. The main reason we are so affected by the time change is because of our internal biological clocks. One of our bodies’ most important clocks is our circadian rhythm, which controls our sleep/wake cycle.
Janet Kennedy, licensed Clinical Psychologist and sleep doctor, explains, “The beginning and end of Daylight Savings Time stress the body by forcing it to sleep out of sync with the circadian rhythm. External clocks may change overnight, but internal clocks need time to adjust. Further, many people will naturally wake up at their usual time, not able to take advantage of the ‘extra’ hour. That makes for a longer day and more fatigue during the adjustment.”
Here are a few tips to help you sleep better during daylight savings time:
- Stick to a routine. Your body clock does better when you keep the same bedtime and wake-up times, even on the weekends.
- Rather than a loud, abrupt alarm, switch to a more relaxing option (or even just the natural sunrise if possible).
- Get exposure to sunlight in the morning when you wake up (the natural blue light in the sun helps your body to feel more awake).
- Avoid tech (and other bright lights) at least one hour before bedtime. Blue light from our digital devices can disrupt the release of melatonin, our sleep hormone.
While getting rid of Daylight Savings time is not possible right now, use EyeJust Blue Light Blocking Screen Protector to stay protected while connected!