Adjusting to the start of Daylight Savings Time
By Susan Hickey
There was a misconception circulating last year that Congress had passed a law to discontinue the practice of “changing the clocks” to allow for an extra hour of daylight, known as transitioning to Daylight Savings Time. Turns out that despite our highest hopes, the bill has not officially passed the necessary steps in order to become effective nationwide as it languishes in the House of Representatives, with the most recent discussion occurring this past January.
Therefore, we must still consider how we will help our bodies adjust to this alteration of our schedule while the government continues debate. Experts offer several tips on how to smooth the transition between standard time and daylight savings time:
- Start going to bed earlier, even shifting bedtime by a few minutes (15) each night over the course of several days.
- Exercise – but early enough in the day that your heart rate doesn’t remain elevated too long and keep you awake before bed. If your schedule requires you to exercise in the evening, consider taking advantage of a low impact YMCA class like yoga or Pilates that will help you transition into a bedtime frame of mind.
- Get outside more. Meet up with friends at your local YMCA branch for a brisk walk around the neighborhood and enjoy some social time while getting a good workout. Sun exposure helps lower melatonin levels and help you feel more alert.
- Make a new habit. When the time comes for losing an hour of sleep, it can be tempting to just make up for it by sleeping in the next day. Take advantage of this time to check out the YMCA schedule here and find a new early class to attend that will help you keep a consistent wake up time.
- Pay special attention to your diet. A change in schedule might lead you to eat at unusual times and possibly make suboptimal food choices if you are hungry at unexpected times. Limit caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime. Talk with a YMCA nutritionist for further tips – learn more about that here.
Changing the clocks does not have to wreak havoc in your life – incorporating some simple suggestions can help ease the transition. Taking advantage of YMCA membership benefits can be valuable in helping you spring forward this year!
Sources:
GuidePosts: 7 Tips To Help You Adjust To Daylight Savings Time
Susan Hickey is a part-time physical therapist and SAHM of 3. Susan and her family are Coffman YMCA members.
