Don’t Lose Sleep Over Daylight Savings Time
Daylight Savings Time (DST) may come once a year like clockwork, but it never fails to leave us feeling sluggish in the days that follow. When we leap forward one hour every March, our circadian rhythm is temporarily thrown off kilter, a disruption that not only affects our sleep patterns, but our mental and physical health, as well. The good news is there are steps you can take now to diminish the side effects of DST and prepare your body to “spring ahead.”
One week before DST
Make a slight shift in your schedule by going to sleep and waking up 15-20 minutes earlier each day. Do the same for meals, exercise regimens and any other daily activities that can be adjusted accordingly. Try not to overload your schedule or make evening plans that will cut into your new bedtime routine. You should also limit screen time and caffeine – which are known to suppress melatonin production – an hour before bedtime.
The weekend of DST (and the days that follow)
On the Saturday night before daylight savings time, make sure you go to bed at your new time, which should now be an hour before your old bedtime. To avoid confusion when you wake up Sunday morning, set your clocks and any other electronic devices before you go to sleep (most cell phones and smart watches will update automatically).
As tempting as it may be, try not to sleep in an extra hour on Sunday – it won’t help you catch up on missed sleep. Instead, expose yourself to natural light as soon as you wake up by sitting close to the window or stepping outside for a few minutes. This will help reset your circadian rhythm, which relies on cues from the sun to promote wakefulness. If you feel sluggish midday, take a 15–20-minute nap. An hour before bedtime, dim the lights and try to avoid blue light from cell phones, laptops and televisions.
What about the kids?
If you are a parent, you know it’s much easier to adjust your own routine than it is that of a toddler or teenager. However, it’s not an impossible feat. Young children tend to be creatures of habit, so keep bedtime adjustments as subtle as possible to avoid suspicion or disruption. Leading up to daylight savings time, start their evening routine 15 minutes earlier each night, but keep everything else about their routine the same. Following the time change, your child may notice that it’s still light outside when it’s time to go to bed. You can create the illusion of darkness by dimming the lights and investing in a room darkening shade, both of which will send cues to your child that nighttime is approaching (even if it still looks like daytime).
Teenagers can be more difficult to persuade, especially if they prefer to stay up late and use technology before bedtime. Try not to be overly pushy, as this may make your teen even more resistant to follow your advice. Instead, lead by example; if you encourage them to go to bed early and avoid technology before bedtime, it’s important that you do the same. In the morning, try to wake them up at their normal time rather than letting them sleep in – this will help when Monday rolls around and they need to get up and ready for school.
Lastly and most importantly, show grace. Even with the proper preparation, time changes are tough, and sleep deprivation is no joke. Expect that your child or teen may be moody or sluggish for a few days and continue to do what you can to help them adjust without judgement.