Getting Up—

How has your body been adjusting to daylight savings? I have to be honest, the day before the time change, I almost forgot about it, and then ended up staying up late!

So, you can just imagine how it felt when I woke up the next morning for 8:30am church…which had now become…7:30am…which meant I had to be up and ready to go before 7:30…which meant…you get the picture.

Why Daylight Savings?

Okay, I actually love being up with the morning sun and feeling productive in the mornings, but usually after feeling refreshed…which means AFTER getting a good night’s sleep.

So, why do we continue this maddening ritual of fiddling with our clocks? Is the only way to avoid it, to move out of the country, or to Arizona or Hawaii? Do people even want this?

DST was instituted during WWI and WWII to conserve fuel and make use of natural daylight, but is it necessary anymore?

States like California and Florida are in the process of passing legislation to “lock the clock,” and many others are in the process.

Health risks

Here are the facts. According to Business Insider, some cited health risks of Daylight savings are:

• 24% spike in heart-attack visits
•  30 extra deaths from 2002 to 2011
•  Increase in injuries at work
• Increased strokes
•  Temporary increase in suicides
• Our bodies may not fully recover from the springtime bump for weeks

And these statistics are really just a testament to the fragility of the equilibrium of the human body and the impact of poor sleep.

The effects of sleep have long been studied and the effects of lack of sleep have long been known to be detrimental.

Sleep is the body’s prime time to repair tissues, digest, and solidify memories.

Without this vital element, human function deteriorates and performance in every aspect of our health plunges.

Get In the Groove of Daylight Savings

So, knowing this, what can we do to best help our bodies adjust to these time changes? The most obvious choice is to go to sleep early! I should take my own advice!

By still getting the proper amount of sleep by moving your bedtime even just half an hour earlier, you’ll avoid the groggy mistakes or health risks that could happen with decreased sleep.

This might be really hard for night owls (like my husband) that have a hard enough time falling asleep as it is.

Take it slow. You can slowly start making these adjustments over a longer period of time leading up to Daylight Savings if you need to.

Just like with any healthy sleep routine, you’ll need to practice good sleep hygiene by winding down a little earlier, maybe turning down the thermostat, and clearing your head by putting everything on a checklist for tomorrow.

Something I really have been trying to be good at is making sure I get outside and expose myself to the morning sun soon after waking up.

It’s Science

As you know, our body operates on what’s called the circadian rhythm.  According to The Sleep Foundation, “your circadian rhythm is basically a 24-hour internal clock that is running in the background of your brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. It’s also known as your sleep/wake cycle.”

This is why a lot of people suggest camping when you’re having sleep issues. By exposing your body to daylight, you help your body get back on its normal circadian schedule.

Other well-known sleep hacks include avoiding screens/blue light after certain hours or using blue-light blocking glasses.

Losing the stress will also help you catch more zzz’s. There are tons of amazing apps out there to help you de-stress and provide a relaxing environment for you to fall asleep.

I’ve tried some and fell right asleep (one in particular is called “Calm”). Of course, I don’t typically have trouble sleeping (although now I have a puppy that keeps me up!).

I have tried to get my husband (who does have trouble sleeping) to use some of these apps and he says they don’t help, so I don’t know you could be one of those people too but it’s worth a try.

Just find what works for you.

Along with this, making sure your bedroom is a sleep-conducive environment is very important.

Is your bedroom your workplace? Try not to make it so. Let it be a place where you can let your body feel at home and relax.

Spray some nice scents, light a candle, keep an air purifier/humidifier, just pretend you’re providing yourself the best spa experience and make it easy for yourself to relax at the end of your busy, exhausting day.

Just stay consistent with your sleep schedule and you’ll begin to reap the rewards of better sleep and better performance—even in the face of a clock change! It might even save your life!

How About You?

What are your personal experiences with adjusting to DST? Do you struggle every year? Have you tried any of these suggestions before? If not, did you find any of these tips helpful?

Let me know in the comments below how you’ve adjusted or coped with DST in your life and whether you think we should keep observing it!