Preparing for Daylight Savings

Don’t forget to push your clocks forward in the US! Daylight savings is coming whether we like it or not, and we will all lose an hour of sleep. Having the extra sunlight in the evening will be nice, but is it worth feeling like you have jet lag?

As a parent, I usually dread it. My son will want to stay up too late, and my dog will want to go through his daily routine as if daylight savings time never existed. Sunday morning will start with my dog looking at me like I am insane for getting up an hour earlier, and he will nudge his food bowl until he knocks it over and gets angry with me when I haven’t fed him at the “right time.”

As a personal trainer who trains clients at the crack of dawn, I am particularly impacted by this shift in schedule. I need to make a little extra effort to mitigate some physical side effects of pushing the clock ahead. Below are some things I do to help myself feel less tired.

1. Mentally prepare a week in advance: Since the time shift is around the corner, it will be too late to try this method now, but save this one for next time or your next international trip. A week before the time change, shift your bedtime and wake up by 10-15 min daily. If you usually go to bed at 10 pm and wake up at 6 am, move your schedule so that you go to bed at 9:45 pm and wake up at 5:45 am. You will be on your new schedule within a week with little impact.

2. Move the clock a day or two before you need to: If you don’t have any meetings or engagements the day or two before the time change, update all of the clocks in your house and in your car to represent the new time. Eat your meals and go through your routine as if the time on the watch is the actual time. You will still feel like you need to play catch-up, but it will be less impactful.

3. Invest in a light therapy lamp: I love my light therapy lamp! It benefits people impacted by the seasons and lack of sunlight during winter. It is also great for helping you feel more awake when it’s still dark out. Pushing the clocks ahead means darkness in the morning, especially if you wake up at 4 or 5 am, as I do. Sit next to a light therapy lamp for 30 minutes in the morning after you wake up. I usually sit and drink my coffee and have breakfast next to mine. The light will stimulate the natural “wake-up” hormones in your body.

4. Invest in a sunrise alarm clock: I have the Philips Sunrise Alarm Clock, and I love it! It’s an alarm clock that gradually lights up like a sunrise and brightens the room before it is set to go off. I naturally start to wake up before my alarm goes off because the light starts waking me up. Also, I don’t particularly appreciate being jolted up by obnoxious noises, so I particularly like the soothing sounds you can choose to wake up to. If you want obnoxious, it has that option too.

5. Get room-darkening shades or an eye mask: I close light-blocking shades before bed. I go to bed in the summer when the sun sets, and it can be difficult to fall asleep with the light shining into my bedroom. Blocking the light helps your body adjust and ready itself to sleep.

6. Take your vitamins: Vitamins like magnesium naturally help the body sleep better. It has been proven to help people fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and increase melatonin levels. Most multivitamins include magnesium.

7. Get enough exercise: I wouldn’t be a good personal trainer if I didn’t tell you to exercise. Beyond dealing with daylight savings time, exercise naturally helps you sleep better. Thirty minutes of physical activity daily is enough to make a difference.

These suggestions won’t help your dog understand daylight savings time, but at least they can help you adjust and feel better. Try some of them out, and let me know how it goes.