How to Make Springing Forward Easy
Nothing is worse than losing an hour of sleep and feeling groggy for days.
Every single spring I dread the weekend where I lose and hour of sleep. Sleeping is my favorite activity.
I've noticed that each time we move our clocks ahead an hour, I'm extremely sleepy on Monday.
According to Dr. Alfred Lewy, people are trying to deal with a new light-dark cycle. That is why it's so difficult to get moving!
We start getting less sunlight in the morning and more in the evening. Our body's clocks need a signal to reset them each day.
With time, the body clock adjusts on its own. But here are a few ways to help it along according to this article on ABCnews.com.
| Soak Up the Morning Light |
Getting some early morning sun Saturday and Sunday can help the brain's sleep-wake cycle line up with the new light-dark cycle. But it means getting up and outside at dawn. Sleeping by a window won't cut it, Lewy said. The sunlight needs to be direct because glass filters out much of the frequencies involved in re-setting the sleep-wake cycle.
| Avoid Evening Light |
Resisting the urge to linger in the late sunlight Sunday and Monday also can help the body clock adjust, Lewy said.
| Try a Low Dose of Melatonin |
While light synchronizes the body clock in the morning, the hormone melatonin updates it at night.
The exact function of the hormone, produced by the pea-size pineal gland in the middle of the brain, is unclear. But it can activate melatonin receptors on the neurons of the body clock, acting as a "chemical signal for darkness," Lewy said.
Taking a low-dose (less than 0.3 milligrams) of melatonin late in the afternoon Friday through Monday can help sync the sleep-wake and light-dark cycles. But be careful: Though melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement, it can cause drowsiness and interfere with other drugs.
Don't forget to change your clocks at 2 a.m. Sunday morning!
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