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Having a Healthy End of Daylight Savings Time
For most in North America, daylight savings time ends on Sunday November 5, 2017. While, at first glance, it seems like this is a great opportunity to get an extra hour of sleep, there is a downside to the end of daylight savings time when it comes to your health.
While the extra hour may help you catch up on sleep the first night, it can also disrupt your normal sleep patterns going forward and throw off your body’s internal clock. This can put a strain on your body. In fact, a few days after the clocks change, you could find yourself having trouble falling asleep at night.
One way to counteract this is to start adjusting your schedule before the time actually changes. If you normally go to sleep at 10pm, once the time changes, the new 10pm will be 9pm. To make it easier for you to get used to falling asleep an hour earlier, try to adjust your schedule by 15 minutes each day for several days until the time change happens.
It’s also a good idea to stick to your regular routines once the time changes. Try to wake up at the same time, fall asleep at the same time, and avoid naps during the day if possible. Long naps in the daytime can interfere with your ability to sleep at night. Make sure you have a calming bedtime routine as well. Do relaxing activities in the hours before you go to sleep, and avoid caffeine and screens (such as tablets, TVs, and phones) close to bedtime.
Another good way to improve your health once daylight savings time ends is by taking advantage of the extra daylight in the morning to do an early workout. Not only will this improve your overall health, but exercising regularly can help improve your sleep at night.
In addition, the end of daylight savings time means that the sun comes up earlier in the morning, but that also means that it gets dark earlier. For a lot of people, the fact that it’s dark when they leave work can be depressing. To counteract this, try to spend some time outside during daylight hours. For example, take a walk during your lunch break. Even just a few minutes of sunlight each day can perk up your mood.