I love when the clocks spring forward and we get more daylight at the end of the day, but these first few days can hurt a little. I even made sure I went to bed at my normal bedtime when the clocks changed, about 9:45 (lights out by 10:00) even though it still felt like 9:00 pm, especially because everyone else was up too. And someone was arguing for more TV time due to the time change.
If you’re one of those people who tell me, “Coach, I just can’t fall asleep earlier.”
Well, first of all, turn off your TV sooner and put your phone away. You need to stop the blue light exposure at minimum an hour before you go to sleep.
Next, don’t try to go to sleep WAY earlier than normal.
If you’re an 11;00 pm person, start with a week of 10:45. Then a week of 10:30, and so on until you get to your goal time. That’s pretty much how I arrived at my sleep time.
TIP: Every hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2 hours of sleep to your adrenals. FYI, your adrenal glands produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress, and other essential functions.
Back to the subject of daylight savings time for a minute…
It seems that nobody I know likes that the clock changes twice a year. Pretty much everything I come across says it’s pointless. It actually costs a bunch of money in lost productivity. Many of my clients drag themselves to training for a week while they adjust.
Yet, every year, twice a year, the conversation to put an end to it ensues and nothing happens.
I have family in Arizona. They don’t do it. Whenever I talk with them I ask what time it is there. Haha. I cant remember.
Regardless, until it changes, we know it’s coming so be prepared with a plan to adjust your sleep a little each day, and keep your nutrition and supplements consistent (if you need quality nutrition at 20% discount, click here)
And take a short 20-minute power nap if it works for you. I’m a big fan.
