How does daylight savingS affect your sleep?

I know for me, this week was slightly challenging with the change to daylight saving for the first few days.
I realised this when I started to question myself why am I feeling the way I was and it suddenly adorned on me it was because of daylight savings.

Did you know moving our clocks can disrupt our sleep patterns?  Losing one hour of sleep in the spring is more difficult to adjust to than gaining an hour in the autumn, which is when we move the clocks, back one hour.

Source: Sleep Health Foundation

Our circadian rhythm, our internal body clock will need to adjust to the time change. Most people, however; will do this without any problem while others need to be aware that there is an increased chance of sleepiness, especially while the body adjusts to the new time frame. Daylight saving throws our circadian rhythms out of sync because you suddenly require to wake at a time when the body clock is still programmed for sleep. If you, however, adjust your bedtime earlier for about 3 or 4 nights before the daylight savings transition, you will reduce the risk of sleep loss, and become less susceptible to sleepiness the next day.

Source: Sleep Health Foundation

Here are 10 tips for you to prepare and adjust to daylight saving time:-

1. Plan to get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
2. Avoid drinking coffee; tea or other caffeine drinks in the evening.
3. Avoid smoking just before you go to bed or during the night.
4. When you first wake up in the morning and make your bedroom as bright as possible.
5. Don’t exercise just before you go to bed plan and it for another time.
6. Eat a good healthy breakfast.
7. Plan to go outside in the sunlight in the early mornings.
8. Avoid going to bed hungry or eating a large meal.
9. You want to make sure you go to bed 15 -20 minutes earlier for the first 3 to 4 days before putting the clocks forward.
10. Plan to set your alarm 30 minutes earlier on Saturday and Sunday mornings ready for the early start on Monday.

Want more information click on the links below.

• Time zones and daylight saving
• Daylight savings in New Zealand
• ABC New - How daylight savings affects your sleep
• Body clock
• Circadian rhythm
• Daylight savings