Managing Proper Sleep Habits with Daylight Savings
By Olivia Groeteke, M.S., PLMHP
Talking about sleep as we continue to have more daylight hours in our days sounds counterproductive, but regardless of the time of year, whatever plans you have this weekend, or the stage of life you are in, healthy sleep is crucial!
If we do not get enough sleep, our ability to think clearly, problem-solve, regulate our emotions, and tolerate stress are significantly impacted. Or if you’re working on your beach bod for this summer, your progress is going to be drastically slowed down if you are sleep-deprived. When we limit ourselves to getting a restful 7-9 hours of sleep, we lose the ability to enter REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is a stage of sleep where a lot of our processing and emotional processing from our days occur. If this gets skipped, the next days are not only exhausting, but also place more of a mental load on us.
Healthy sleep hygiene is not limited to what we do in bed; it starts the moment we wake up. Exposure to direct natural light (our lovely sun is the best option for this) helps reset our circadian rhythm, so we wake and rise with the sun. As you make it through your day and enter the afternoon, try to be mindful of your caffeine intake. Caffeine in the late afternoon (after 4 pm)and evening disrupts the brain’s ability to signal we are tired and it is time for bed because caffeine dulls our “I feel tired” receptors. If you are a napper, try to limit it to early afternoon and stick to 20-30 minute power naps. As the evening rolls around, earlier dinners are better because late meals impact our ability to sleep well. Consuming a lot of liquids right before bedtime might also keep you up throughout the night! Substance use heavily impacts the quality of our sleep, whether it is nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, or cannabis. That might need to be an entirely separate blog post in itself. Dark, cool bedrooms help promote relaxation. While our phones are a part of almost every aspect of our lives, they need to stay away from bedtime. The blue light released from electronic screens delays the release of melatonin, which helps our bodies fall asleep. Aim to limit screentime 30 minutes before bed.
As with every healthy habit, consistency is key. Maintaining the same wake and sleep times strengthens your circadian rhythm, leaving you feeling stronger, more resistant to getting sick, and able to think more clearly throughout the day. This includes your weekends!! Take note how much easier Monday morning is when you are still consistent with waking up on your days off. Having a regular wind-down routine can help the body recognize it is time for rest. This could look like reading or journaling for 30 minutes, stretching, skin-care routine, or taking a relaxing bath as warm water helps calm our bodies down by telling our body to lower its temperature, promoting more restful sleep.
Now we throw the dreaded time change in the mix, and what do we do with consistency now?! The week of the time change, start going to bed and waking up 15 minutes earlier, so it is an easier adjustment. Our circadian rhythms sync best with sunshine, so start your day with a healthy dose of time in the direct sunlight to help naturally wake up. If you live in an area of the world where March has weather where one day it’s sunny and warm, and the next it’s a blizzard, enjoying a warm cup of coffee near a sunny window also works. Build up your sleep bank the week of so you go into this time change feeling rested, rather than sleep deprived. The night before the time changes, set your clocks ahead an hour so you are on track when you wake up.
Sleep routines can be extremely frustrating to adjust because there are going to be some days where you are feeling exhausted, really wanting that 3 hour nap, but are pushing through to go to bed at a healthy bedtime to get restful overnight sleep. You know your body best, so give yourself compassion as you make small and attainable adjustments. Change is uncomfortable, but future you thanks you for the respect you’re giving yourself.
