Every year, we have many conversations around the clock change. Some people love falling back, some hate it. Some people love getting the most daylight hours and point out that Benjamin Franklin suggested daylight savings in 1784. Others would like the yearly shift to stop.
Some people like early morning light, and others prefer afternoon sun. We have mixed opinions on our team. In a phone meeting with another company, one team member said how nice it would be to wake up in daylight again. The other company is much higher north than us. One person replied, “Even with the clock change, the sun won’t rise before seven in the morning until March.” That seems bleak to us.
The clock changing can be hard on your system. It will happen early Sunday morning. The shift has been linked to higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, abnormal heart rhythms, sleep problems, mood disturbances and suicides. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has advocated keeping standard time permanent for health reasons. Their efforts were joined by the National Sleep Foundation, Save Standard Time, Sleep Research Society and Society for Research on Biological Rhythms. So far, they have been unsuccessful.
Start going to bed later by 15 minutes each night starting tonight. “By the time Daylight Savings Time ends, you’ll be going to bed close to your usual time in the new time zone...This gradual adjustment helps maintain a consistent sleep-wake cycle, which is crucial for mood regulation,” said sleep expert Tony Spencer.
You should also push your dinner back at the same time to keep your digestion regular. Limit the caffeine you drink if you are affected by it and exercise later in the day to help your body clock readjust.
You should also aim to get sunlight early in the day so it isn’t a shock to your system when the change happens on Sunday. Obviously, you can’t make the sunrise any sooner, but you can get outside when it’s light for a walk. And, if you struggle with seasonal affective disorder, artificial light therapy can be helpful. One of our team members has a light box that she turns on the minute San Diego gets less than twelve hours of sunlight. It helps her mood stay cheerful, and she swears it helps her get a better night’s sleep.
