It’s Spring! We’re quickly leaving the colder temperatures behind and seeing our trees and flowers beginning to awaken. These changes are most welcome, yet the advent of daylight saving time may cause difficulties that for some of us can last for many weeks and even longer. The majority of us enjoy and even benefit from the extra daylight we’re now getting, but the adjustment may bring with it a mini-jet lag, impacting our internal body clock, as well as our appetite, energy levels, and even our emotions. Fortunately, our bodies are adaptable, and a bit of patience and a few intentional accommodations can help us to more easily adjust to the time change.
Here are a few tips that may help make the adjustment:
First, understand that this disruption is normal, and while some people seem to take the change in stride, others may take a while to settle in. Again, this is completely normal.
Give yourself time to adjust, gradually moving bedtime, mealtimes, and other daily activities to match up with the time-change. Moving these activities by 15 minutes or so a day will help with the transition.
Stick to your normal routines, particularly those bedtime routines that help to trigger sleep.
Avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime. Though we enjoy the extra natural daylight hours, the light that is emitted from electronic screens is a sleep disrupter.
Think about going to bed at the same time as usual, but giving yourself a little extra reading time before turning out the lights (books, not screens). And if shutting off a busy mind is a problem, maybe explore the benefits of having a white/gray noise machine turned on at bedtime.
Maintain a healthy diet, make sure you’re eating nutritious food and staying hydrated. And avoid caffeine, sugar, and alcohol use close to bedtime.
Spend time outdoors in the natural light and make sure to enjoy regular physical activity.
Take short naps during the day if you need to, but keep those naps brief so that your nighttime sleep isn’t affected.
Transitioning to this seasonal time-change can be easier with just a few simple but significant adjustments. Try these tips and see the improvements in how you feel and function throughout the day.
