Friday, November 15, 2019
How to prepare to fall back when Daylight Saving Time ends
How to prepare to fall back when Daylight Saving Time ends How to prepare to fall back when Daylight Saving Time ends On the first Sunday of November, our clocks will move back an hour at 2 a.m., and we will gain an hour of sleep as we âfall backâ as Daylight Saving Time officially ends.But that extra hour of rest will come at a cost to our routines.Soon, you will be ending your work day in darkness as the switch pushes sunset forward an hour, too. For those of us who live in cooler climates, the end of Daylight Saving Time heralds the time of sweater weather, chilly winds, and the days when the lines of Louise Glückâs moody âOctoberâ poem make the most sense: âThis is the light of autumn; it has turned on us. Surely it is a privilege to approach the end still believing in something.âHow can we prepare for this annual arbitrary switch in time so we can fall back gracefully instead of tumbling backward unaware?Here are some tips so you can start to prepare:1) Donât drink alcohol or coffee on SaturdayStimulants like alcohol and caffeine interfere with our bodyâs internal clock, whic h is already going to be thrown for a loop when your body feels like itâs afternoon when itâs morning. As a stimulant, alcohol will increase the number of times you wake up at night and research finds that it will decrease the quality of sleep youâll get.Treat the time switch like a mild form of jet lag and avoid going for an alcoholic nightcap.2) Remember to change your clocksNowadays, most of our digital clocks on our electronic devices will do the time switch for us. But for those of us who use clocks with hands spinning around a dial, remember to move your clock backward Saturday night, so you donât miss meetings and phone calls from people living in a world thatâs an hour behind you.3) Go outsideOpen up your blinds Sunday morning and welcome the brighter rays of light. The end of Daylight Saving Time pushes sunrise back an hour as winterâs morning light will reach you sooner now. The sun is natureâs regulator and keeps our internal circadian rhythms on track.Besi des working as our natural timekeeper, the sun is also a good pick-me-up as the days shorten. One study found morning light exposure to be the most effective treatment for cheering us up in the face of winter blues and seasonal affective disorder.4) Resist sleeping inYou may be tempted to enjoy the chance to snooze on Sunday, but if you want to adjust to timeâs new schedule, youâll need to adjust your personal schedule accordingly. Dr. Alon Y. Avidan, Director of UCLAâs Sleep Disorders Center recommends going to bed an hour later than you normally would on Saturday night so that you can wake up feeling like itâs morning the next day.Trust fall, donât free fall, backWith these tips, you can approach Sundayâs time shift like a trust fall instead of a free-fall: knowing that youâve prepared your body for something to catch you.This a version of a previously published article.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.