Beat Daylight Saving With These Sleep Hygiene Tips

Get a Better Night of Sleep This Daylight Saving Time

You get out of bed one Sunday morning in early March and notice something strange: You’re more tired, it’s darker than usual and – the clocks are wrong.

Oh, yeah; daylight saving time began this weekend.

You’ll probably feel the change all week, maybe even longer. Your productivity dips, you’re crankier and you might even experience more snack cravings.

Losing even an hour of sleep can cause a whole host of health issues – some you notice, others you don’t. That’s why it’s important to have a good sleep hygiene routine so your body’s prepared for the start of daylight saving.

Hour-by-Hour Daylight Saving Sleep Prep

Morning: 6am – 9am

One of the simplest (but most impactful) steps you can take to ensure a good night’s sleep is to wake up and go to bed at the same time every day – including on weekends.

With the time change, however, even the most consistent routines can fall flat.

In the two weeks leading up to daylight saving, try waking up 15-20 minutes earlier than normal. You might be a little groggier, but the gradual transition may help mitigate the shock of the time change. You should also consider adjusting other daily routines (like mealtimes) to match your new schedule.

Once you’re out of bed, do your best to expose yourself to direct sunlight. Sunlight resets your circadian rhythm, signaling to your body that it’s time to start the day. Not only does this help kick that morning sleepiness, it can also make falling asleep at night easier.

During the Day: 9am – 6pm

Caffeine is a productivity hack – but that also makes it one of the worst enemies of a good night’s sleep. Your body takes roughly 10 hours to metabolize caffeine, so regardless of when you plan to hit the hay, you should try to get your caffeine in as early as possible.

In addition to your caffeine intake, your diet has much to say about your readiness to sleep when it’s time to turn out the lights.

Eating a nutritious diet packed with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and healthy fats helps to regulate your body and ensure a sound sleep rhythm. Keeping your diet in check in the last days before daylight saving can help stabilize your body as it readies for the transition.

Evening: 6pm – 8pm

A good sleep hygiene routine can be spoiled by too much nighttime activity. Overstimulation in the evening can make it difficult to fall – and stay – asleep. In the last few hours of the day, try to avoid:

• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Large meals
• Strenuous exercise
• Stimulating conversation

Bedtime: 8pm – 11pm

A well-regulated body knows when it’s time to wind down, but it needs the right conditions to make sure it’s ready. In the last hour or so before bed, avoid using screens (TV, tablets, smartphones, etc.), dim your lights if possible, and engage in a calming activity like reading, journaling or meditating.

Similar to your wake-up routine, try going to bed 15-20 minutes earlier each night a few nights before the clocks spring forward. It’s important you’re getting enough sleep before and after the time change (at least seven hours for adults, eight hours for teens), so the night of the change, do your best to get an extra hour of sleep by going to bed a little earlier.

The goal isn’t to trick your body – it’s to introduce enough flexibility to minimize the health effects caused by potential sleep disruptions.