Twice a year, every year, daylight saving time springs us forward or has us fall back. This year, on Sunday March 10th, the majority of Americans lost an hour as part of an adjustment to seasonal changes. Besides feeling a bit off-kilter while adjusting to the new hours, there may be greater individual effects of this seasonal event. Most importantly, your body’s sleep schedule may need to be adjusted or you may see your productivity take a nosedive.

    While not everyone experiences such drastic side-effects of daylight saving time, you will likely still benefit from these tips to help your body adjust to the new time change:

  • Get active! An extra hour of daylight and increasingly warmer weather are great reasons to start moving. You’ll feel more energetic and increase your mood as well.

  • Bump up your bedtime. For a healthy sleep schedule, try getting to bed earlier. You may need to plan out your day so dinner is earlier and you are tired out before bed.

  • Start stretching – early. Getting out of bed earlier in the morning and starting your day with a few simple exercises or stretches will actually help you get into bed earlier that night.

  • Supplement your sleep with melatonin. For some, the body’s natural processes do not always produce enough melatonin to ensure a good night’s rest. Melatonin supplements can help regulate and even out these irregular sleep cycles.

  • Eat well to sleep well. Choosing a small, healthy snack before bed help you ease into a night of sleep. Choose a glass of milk, a small handful of almonds, yogurt and berries or an apple with peanut butter as some healthy options for nighttime snacks.

  • A final early wake-up trick: Move your alarm clock farther from your bed, so you actually have to get up to shut it off.

    Even if the biggest effect you feel from daylight saving time is a little extra grogginess, these simple tips can help you get the most out of the time change and your own sleep schedule.
Read the entire article here: Time Change 2013: Can Daylight Savings Time Affect Your Health?

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