Although one hour is technically just 60 minutes, it is still a substantial amount of time to get things done, and most importantly to get more sleep in. According to the experts at the mattress stores in San Diego, the bi-yearly change that happens during daylight saving time is long enough to confuse your sleep, body, and mood. This impact isn’t minimal either.
Not many people understand that daylight saving time involves many health complications. During a 2016 study, it was revealed that the general rate for strokes increased 8% for a few days afterward. The risk of heart attacks surged by 10% and cognitive abilities decreased. The fault lies firmly in our disrupted circadian rhythms, which can take away an average of 40 minutes of sleep.
There are some groups out there who are vigorously lobbying to end daylight saving time since it causes these health complications, and many even wonder what we actually gain from turning the clock one hour every year. According to the experts at the mattress stores in San Diego, any chance of changing this practice will not be happening anytime soon.
How Do You Survive Daylight Saving Time?
Well, one very cheeky way of doing this is moving to states such as Arizona and Hawaii that do not observe the time change. Or else, you can go up north to the Canadian province of Saskatchewan where you don’t have to worry about it either.
Obviously, it seems very drastic to uproot your entire life for just one hour. Therefore, professionals at the mattress stores in San Diego spoke to a few sleep experts for their tips and tricks on the best ways to make it through this transition safe and sound.
How Does Daylight Saving Time Mess Up Your Body?
Many medical professionals will agree that when we have to change the clock in the fall and the spring, people are not themselves. In fact, they become a bit testier. It is a well-documented fact that when the collective time is altered for the whole population, there is a collateral effect, which can be anything from headaches to insomnia.
Normally, when you change sleep patterns, it takes around 3 to 7 days for a patient to get used to it. A good majority of people will be jacked up on coffee since they are exhausted or irritable. For millions of years, humans have had their pineal gland in sync with the rising and setting of the sun.
This natural system helps boost serotonin and melatonin, which are hormones that help to regulate sleep and lower depression. If you suddenly alter that pattern by changing sleep and wake times, there will be physical and emotional consequences.
Daylight Saving Time interrupts our internal circadian rhythms, which ultimately affects our most vulnerable link, and that is mood. Our mood and sleep are primarily linked and that goes for everyone. If you are lacking sleep, you are at higher risk for an accident, or health issue due to the change of light you are viewing, how your brain registers it, and the production of sleep hormones. It is similar to jet lag, but the only difference is that everyone in your time zone has it.
Why Are Circadian Rhythms So Important?
The body’s circadian rhythms are a 24-hour internal clock that runs in the background of our brain which cycles between tiredness and alertness at regular intervals. It lets the body know when it is time to sleep and when we should be awake.
When the light bulb was invented in 1879, we began to synthetically control when we went to bed and when we woke up. Sadly, this false wake/sleep cycle is interrupted even further every six months through the current use of daylight saving time that many countries have adopted. Daylight saving time aims to make use of longer daylight hours, however, it does disrupt the body’s natural sleep cycle.
How To Gently Slip Into Spring Daylight Saving Time?
Slowly transition into the time change. One week before the time change takes place, get into the habit of going to sleep 15 minutes early or late (depending on the time change) since this helps the body go into a smoother transition. When you change the cycle by an hour in just one night, it will have a great impact on your daily efficiency for the first few days. However, a slow transition will not interfere with your daily duties.
Do not change your bedtime routine. Try to do the same things every night to let your brain recognize your preferred bedtime. That means you stick to the same dinner time, do the same activities at night, and go to bed at the same time. Typically, when the body and brain do the same things repeatedly, it will understand that it is time to stop for the night and allow you to fall asleep swiftly.
Consume sleep-inducing foods. Eating healthy is crucial for optimal sleep, and some foods are great to have as a bedtime snack. Consider decaffeinated chamomile tea, a glass of milk, almonds, and bananas. Stay away from snacking or having meals within three hours of bedtime. A stomach full of food isn’t going to send you into a slumber.
Chill out before you sleep. Do not do anything that is going to cause you stress and excitement before you get ready for bed. So, do your best to avoid watching high-intensity television shows or concerning news reports. Also, stop responding to work-related emails. Instead, read a book in luminous light.
Go to bed earlier. From the hours of 10 in the evening till midnight, there are some good and restorative hours of sleep to have. So, take advantage of those precious sleep hours that will help you ease into the time change the following Monday morning.
With these helpful tips and tricks, you will be ready for the bi-yearly time changes that wreak havoc on our bodies and minds when all we want to do is achieve a good night’s sleep and visit mattress stores in San Diego like Mattress Sale Liquidators.