How to Sleep Better Through Daylight Savings Time
Don’t lose sleep over daylight savings time with these 5 tips.
Falling backward during daylight savings time is the more accepted season of the year. Losing an hour of sleep can be difficult, but gaining an hour feels like a gift. Still, daylight savings time brings challenges regardless of the season. Getting darker earlier and light later not only confuses your kids, but also your circadian rhythm. Taking steps to prepare early can help you and your family adjust to daylight savings time with ease.
5 Sleep Tips for Daylight Savings Time
The obvious first step is to remember to change your clocks the night before. Though your cell phones and tablets do that part for you, your microwave, alarm, or car clock may not. And waiting until daylight savings time comes around again so you don’t have to change the clocks isn’t usually the best option.
The change of time can put a damper on sleep patterns. Here’s how to maintain a healthy sleep schedule and keep you at the top of your game.
Start Going to Bed Earlier in Advance
Sure, it’s nice to sleep in an extra hour without taking away from your day. But when bedtime rolls around that night you may find yourself restless. To prevent this, start going to bed 30 minutes early in the days leading up to daylight savings time. Doing so will help your internal clock adjust to the time change easier.
Find the Daylight
Sunlight and darkness play a huge role in circadian rhythms. Your body responds to light to become more awake. Make it a point to find the sun first thing in the morning. You can do this by simply looking out the window. This will help you feel more awake and energized despite the time change.
Adjust Your Schedule
A few days before, start moving other aspects of your day – dinner, shower, exercise, etc. - up to 1 hour. These aspects of your routine are cues to your body that bedtime is nearing. Moving them up an hour will help you fall asleep easier when the time change comes.
Be Consistent
The human body thrives on consistency. If you go to bed around the same time every night and wake up around the same time every morning, you’ll sleep better, feel better, have more energy, and stay healthy. Aim to maintain a consistent bedtime and wake routine so that you can get through daylight savings time with ease.
Support Sleep with Supplements
Daylight savings time can put a damper on your quality of sleep. The good news is, there are things we can do to support healthy sleep, from behavior changes to dietary support. Limiting caffeine to mornings, avoiding screens at night, or using blue-light blocking apps, and winding down as bedtime approaches can all help with healthy sleep. Bedtime routines aren’t just for children anymore! A sleep support supplement kit is just what you need to help further support relaxation and sleep.
NutraMedix Sleep Support kit contains both RelaxMedix (a blend of Samento and Valerian) and Melatonin. Valerian may help to support relaxation and sleep in occasional sleeplessness, while melatonin may help to maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle and support a healthy sleep onset.
Daylight savings happens twice a year. And with a little preparation and being intentional about your sleep routine, you can adjust to the time change with ease so you can continue to fall asleep quickly and sleep like a baby.