I love springtime! There is a brightness to the sky, the flowers start to bloom (I deal with bad allergies for a few months), the temperatures warm up and we start to feel more energy around us.
If you are like me, waking up this Monday morning wasn’t easy. This weekend we turned our clocks ahead by an hour and I was definitely a bit groggy when I woke up. I felt like I was robbed by an hour of sleep! It’s funny, it’s only one hour but it feels like more! I guess while we have to sacrifice one hour of sleep, the upside is we get more hours of daylight!
DST (Daylight Savings Time) doesn’t make it easy for us to deal with this time change. But, for your health, here are some tips on how to best handle the time change.
Go Slowly- If you can remember to go to bed a little earlier pre-time change and get up just a bit before your alarm goes off in the morning, you will have an easier time adjusting. But, if you were blindsided by the clock, just realize that as the days get longer and natural light exposure increases your body will adjust.
Keep your schedule- Try to manage your schedule accordingly. Be consistent with eating, social, bed and exercise times.
Have a nighttime ritual- Bedtime routines aren’t just for kids. You don’t need to do things in a certain order, but you should make a habit of slowing your body down. Dim your lights. Take a warm – not hot – shower. Put your phone, computer or tablet away. Electronics’ high-intensity light hinders melatonin, a hormone that triggers sleepiness. It stimulates your brain and makes sleep difficult the same way sunlight does.
Be good to yourself- get your zzz’s, eat healthy and exercise daily!
Wishing you an easy time and lots of sunshine and happiness in the weeks ahead!