4 Tips to Help You Spring Ahead

Yes, it’s that time again, when we must spring ahead an hour to help the farmers or the chickens or someone.

We observe Daylight Saving Time, or “Summer Time,” in order to make better use of the long sunlight hours of the summer.

By “springing” clocks forward an hour in March, we move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening.

 I think this could benefit the farmers. The chickens, maybe not so much. 

Daylight Saving Time (DST) was originally instituted in the United States during World War I and World War II to take advantage of longer daylight hours and save energy for the war production.

After WWII, states and communities were able to decide for themselves if they went along with DST or not, and it was very confusing. Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which standardized the length of DST for the country.

Whether this helps the farmers or not, that hour messes with me every time.

4 Tips to Help You Adjust to Daylight Saving Time

1. A few days before springing forward, go to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier than your usual bedtime. This gives your body extra time to make up for the lost hour.
2. Be consistent with your other routines, such as meals, exercise, and socializing. Exposing yourself to the bright light in the morning will also help you adjust.
3. Avoid taking long naps to get you through the transition, as this could disrupt your bedtime sleep. If you must nap, keep it to 20 minutes or less and take it early in the day.
4. Cut the caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime and avoid alcohol late in the day. Having more than 1-2 drinks in the evening can interfere with deep sleep.

Good Sleep Hygiene Habits 

• Slow down a few hours before bedtime.
• Put away electronics and phones.
• Practice going to bed and waking at about the same time each day. Sleeping in on weekends can disrupt your sleep cycle.
• Limit fluids late in the day so that you don’t wake up for bathroom breaks.
• Avoid large, heavy meals late in the evening. Ideally, allow 3 hours for food to digest before going to bed.

 Fun fact: Every hour of sleep before 12am is worth 2 hours after.   

Remember to spring one hour forward before you put your head on your pillow Saturday night. Technically, DST begins Sunday, March 13 at 2:00am.

The good news: Spring is almost here.

Sweet dreams,
Health Coach Carol

“Flowers don’t worry about how they’re going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.”– Jim Carrey