It happens every year, but daylight saving time still catches many people by surprise. Every spring, clocks are pushed forward one hour from 2 a.m to 3 a.m. It will happen this Sunday.
That means that this second Monday in March could be a day when many people feel sluggish, even sleepy because of a seemingly too-early wake-up call. The average person sleeps 40 minutes less the night following the springtime change than they do on a typical night, according to National Sleep Foundation. While the majority of people will adjust by that Wednesday, some will struggle for an entire week.
It may seem like a small thing, but moving your entire day forward by an hour can throw off your sleep cycle. Suddenly, there is less light in the morning (which is when you need to wake up) and more light at night (which is when you should be falling asleep). Here are six tips from the National Sleep Foundation to prepare your body ahead of time:
Consider incrementally waking up earlier across the week so that you are prepared for the change. Advancing your wake-up time by 10 minutes per day, across the week will help to advance your sleep-wake cycle.
Make sure you're caught up on sleep. If you're already sleep-deprived when daylight saving time comes, it's going to hit you harder than if you've been regularly getting seven to nine hours a night. So in the week leading up to the time change, pay special attention to clocking the right amount of shut eye.
Use light to your advantage. How bright your environment is affects your sleep cycle. So, whenever possible, head outside early in the mornings and soak in some sunlight. The opposite holds true for nighttime: Make sure you dim your lights when you want to signal to your body that it's time to go to sleep and avoid staring at computer screens late in the day.
Rethink your evening activities. Tweaks to your nighttime routine can help you drift off more easily—something that's tough to do when you spring forward. A few important ones: Limit caffeine and alcohol intake in the hours leading up to bedtime and don't schedule a nighttime workout.
Create a bedtime ritual. Help your body prepare for an earlier bedtime by ending meals at least two hours before bed, turn off electronics an hour before bed, and create a bedtime ritual to help you wind down and get your body ready for sleep.
Think about how you can prioritize sleep. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep to function properly. Go to the National Sleep Foundation to take a test to see just how much sleep is right for you.
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