
Spring Forward: Tips for When We Lose That Hour of Sleep
Posted by Rebekkah Brainerd
Daylight Savings approaches and may hit a little harder this year than usual. Some normalcy has been established a year into this pandemic, and vaccines are bringing hope that the worst will soon be over. But we’re all still in this, and stress can really emphasize the change to our bodies’ internal clocks. With that in mind, we wanted to revisit some of the tips we’ve shared on how to ease into losing that hour.
To start, a fun quick history behind Daylight Savings! Did you know it was invented by a New Zealand bug-hunting entomologist and a British builder? Both men actually came up with their concepts independently: George Hudson – the entomologist – in 1895 as a way to have more hours of sunshine to go bug hunting after work, and William Willet – the builder – seven years later as a way to prevent Britain from wasting daylight.
That being said, Daylight Savings wasn’t actually implemented until 1916 during WWI. In an effort to save energy, the German government was the first to try out the idea, and every other country that fought in WWI followed suit. In the United States, Congress enacted its first daylight saving time on March 9th, 1918. (If you’d like to read more about this history, the details, and the considerations of today, there’s an interesting article by National Geographic here.)
Unfortunately, though the original reason for daylight saving time may have been well-intentioned, we’ve discovered throughout the years that there are a lot of negative side effects – particularly for health. So as “spring forward” approaches, here are some tips to combat the fatigue and disorientation that setting our clocks forward can bring.
At KinderCare, we’ve written about this before when taking care of our kids, who can be particularly affected by the time shift. Adding to those suggestions, Healthline has a few ideas on how adults can help prepare:
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Avoid electronics before bed! Electronics can suppress melatonin and make for worse sleep, or even harder to fall asleep.
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Careful with the caffeine! According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, caffeine can affect sleep if you’ve consumed it even as much as six hours before bed. It’s best practice to stop drinking coffee or tea afternoon.
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Shift your bedtime by 15 minutes each night, so the hour change isn’t as abrupt.
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Take naps in the afternoon (if you can).
But let’s be honest, the hardest part of losing that hour of sleep is going back to work the following Monday. From an increase in “cyberloafing” to a rise in workplace injuries, Daylight Savings can have a detrimental effect on our ability to work. With that in mind, here are some ideas for adjusting to the time shift:
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First, it can help to mentally prepare. If you normally wake up at 6 am, it’s going to feel like you’re waking up at 5 am – because you are! You may even be waking up in the dark again. As much as possible, give yourself room to take it easy and be safe. Be patient with yourself, it may be more difficult than you expect.
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Speaking of the sun, try to expose yourself to as much light as possible upon waking up. This will help your body adjust naturally. Is the sun not up yet when you wake? Turn on more lights in your house or maybe even invest in a sun lamp.
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Another helpful habit to wake up and seize the day: exercise. The benefits of exercise are countless and will help regulate sleep, mental health, and eating habits, as well as adjusting your circadian rhythm.
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Shift your workload. Can you move those Monday morning meetings to the afternoon when you’ll be more alert? Have a tedious task that doesn’t require much brainpower, but still needs to get done? Focus on those lighter assignments while you’re adjusting to this new schedule! Research shows that we may even be less ethical, morally aware, and more apt to engage in abusive supervision when sleep deprived. Remember that it’s okay to push off the big decisions during this transition.
But most important of all, stay safe while your body adjusts! Be especially vigilant while driving or working with heavy machinery. It can take over a week to adjust to a time change. Daylight Savings leaves many people feeling out of sorts for a while, and so many of us are already tired and stressed right now. So make sure to give yourself the care and space you need. You are worth it.
**In 2021, Daylight Saving Time begins on March 14th and will end on November 7th.**
- daylight saving time
- spring forward