It happens this weekend. Daylight Savings Time. We spring ahead and lose an hour of sleep. If you're like me, you can't afford to lose ANY sleep. So here are on some easy tips when it comes to preparing for the time change. At 2am Sunday (March 12th) we move our clocks ahead one hour. Some people like the extra hour of light in the evening. It's also a signal that summer is just around the corner.
However, to get there, comes our annual test of dealing with the loss of an hour of sleep. It might only be an hour but scientist say that one little hour makes a big difference. In fact, it can throw us off for days. It's like jet lag. It can be especially hard for kids.
Lack of sleep can dull our thinking, effect our productivity and more. In the days immediately following the time change, incidents of accidents and health emergencies such as heart attacks are known to increase. One easy thing to do this weekend and into Monday is to eat more healthfully. Food is fuel. However, the weekend is when many of us like to splurge and have that famous diet "cheat" day. Finally when it comes to diet, don't drink a lot of caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime.
Eating healthful is just one of many things you can do to help lessen the effects of springing forward for Daylights Savings Time. Here are five more, relatively easy things to do when it comes to preparing for the time change. Good luck.
Go to sleep 15 minutes earlier
Start doing this now. Adjust your bed time by an extra 15 minutes each night leading up to Sunday. This way you will be more rested when we spring ahead, and you are robbed of an hour.
Take a Nap
Do this on Sunday if you feel tired. However, this is more like a power nap 15 to 20 minutes only. Short and sweet. Try to nap earlier in the day rather than close to bedtime. Nap outside if you can.
Get into the sun
Light from the sun is said to be a great way to reset your body clock. It signals your body to wake up. Turn on lights, open the shades first thing in the morning to help the process.
Move your body
Do some form of exercise in the morning. Even if you just walk around your building.
Take it easy
Don't overload your work schedule on Monday. Or on Sunday for that matter. There is still time to move appointments around. Give yourself a break at the beginning of the week until your body adjusts a little better.
