It’s that bitter-sweet time of year in which we trade an hour of sleep for an hour of daylight at the end of our working day. It marks Summer’s fast approach and the beginning of BBQ season. While we rejoice for the extra quality time with the sun, there’s no denying that Daylight Savings can make getting up in the morning that tiny bit harder. Here are some top tips on how to minimise the shock to your body clock this Daylight Savings – they’ll work on the whole family too!
Ease into it
The best way to deal with that hour of sleep being stolen from your morning is to change the ‘spring forward’ to something more like a ‘transition forward’. In the days leading up to the official changeover, try setting your alarm an extra 15 minutes earlier each day to ease yourself into it. Come Monday morning you should be well adjusted to your summertime rhythm.
Have a nighttime ritual
Bedtime routines aren’t just for kids. Having a consistent routine that helps you wind down in the evening can be the key to letting your mind and body know that it’s nearing time to sleep. If your bedtime is normally 10pm, the first few days of the Spring changeover may have you wide awake until 11pm. Try prepping yourself for sleep from 9pm – dim the lights and avoid screen time to let your body produce sleep-inducing melatonin. If you need something to keep you occupied so that you’re not tempted to pick up your phone or turn on the TV, try reading a book, listening to a podcast, or having a warm shower.
Take time to digest
It’s important to give your body ample time to digest before you go to bed so that a full belly doesn’t interfere with your quality of sleep. With the change in time you might be feeling hungry earlier or later than you usually would. This is particularly troublesome when we put our clocks forward, as if you would normally eat at 7:30pm, you might not feel hungry until 8:30pm – an hour closer to your bedtime. Try to put your hunger aside, and use the clock as your source of truth. This will help to sync your body with the clock more efficiently and protect the quality of your sleep at the same time.
