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It’s that time of year again…
Sunday, March 14 at 2am in the United States, the clocks will be moved forward one hour to start the glorious period of daylight savings time. This special time of year always gets me so jazzed for spring, but also throws me off my game for a few days after the time switch. After all, we are losing an entire hour, and you know how I feel about making the most of my time…
Daylight savings time always feels like it is disrupting my inertia; like I am running and a good pace and then suddenly mis-step and have to spend several strides correcting my balance. And no one likes their state of flow interrupted!
To prevent you from experiencing a similar inconvenient feeling, I have put together a short, fool-proof guide to enjoying the best parts of daylight savings switch (brighter days, coming of spring, general well being) while eliminating the unsavory ones (grumpiness, sleep loss, general disorientation).
Start Adjusting Your Sleep Schedule
One of the best ways to prepare for daylight savings time is to start adjusting your sleep time little by little over the rest of this week. If you can just go to bed a little earlier (just 10-15 minutes!) each night you can help reduce that jet-lag feeling substantially.
I typically go to bed around midnight. The week before we move the clocks ahead, I try to get into bed around 11:30pm so that when the clocks shift forward, I find myself in the habit of getting into bed around 12:30am instead of 1am. It’s only a half hour, but can make all the difference for keeping my schedule intact.
Shift Back Your Daily Routine
Just as I go to bed a little earlier, I try to wake up and do my daily tasks a hair earlier as well. That means waking up, hitting the gym, having breakfast, and starting the day are all pushed back by a half hour. Again, it might seem like a small difference, but when the time comes to actually move the clocks back it is a lot smoother a transition.
Something to be particularly careful of is your caffeine consumption during the week before daylight savings time. If you are a late in the day/late night caffeine person, it can really throw things off when you lose an hour. Remember, products that contain caffeine include coffee, chocolate, soda, tea, candy, and energy drinks.
Get a Sunlight Fix
Part of resetting our circadian rhythm and adjusting to “spring/summer” mentality is monitoring our exposure to sunlight. Sunlight triggers the production of certain chemicals in the brain that make us alert, awake, and energetic – similarly, the lack of sunlight triggers melatonin production which makes us sleepy and relaxed.
You can start to adjust your sunlight amount and reset your sleep patterns by exposing yourself to sunlight in the morning. This can mean anything from sitting next to a window first thing when you get up or taking a little stroll outside after breakfast. Being exposed to bright light in the morning can reset your body’s cycle so you will naturally go to bed earlier and enjoy more restful sleep.
Keep a Fixed Schedule
A final way to prepare for daylight savings time is to try and keep a fixed schedule – at least for this week. Routines are always great protectors against lifestyle turbulence; the more practiced your routine is, the harder it is to shake. Setting up and sticking to a routine over the next few days (consistent wake up time, consistent bed time, consistent amount of sunlight and exercise), can help you just go on autopilot through the first 24-48 hours of the time switch.
The good news is that this time next week, for better or worse, you will be through the worst of the shift and on your way to embracing spring with all its promise. Now that is a comforting thought!
Here’s to your Uncommon Life,
