Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend: Sunday, November 5th. Numerous studies prove that getting a good night's sleep is essential to good physical and mental health. For some, this is easy. But all of us have to cope with the semiannual time change and its effect on our circadian rhythm. When you start your school or work week on Monday, the sun will be up an hour earlier, but the dreaded early sundown period begins. Here are three ways to deal with the change:
Stay up later - Staying up an hour or two later a day or two before the time changes, can help you reset your body clock. Exercise is typically not recommended at the end of the day, because it delays the onset of sleep. But in this case, some exercise between 7-10 pm could be helpful.
Take advantage of the late day sun -Try to get at least 30 minutes of sun before the earlier sunset. This will help delay the onset of sleep. And if you can't get outdoors, sitting by a window to get some sun is also helpful. As our total number of daylight hours decrease, try to get as much sunlight as you can, which is sometimes easier said than done in Michigan during the fall and winter.
Block the early morning sun -In the morning, the sun is your enemy. Keeping your bedroom completely dark is crucial to a good night's sleep. Since the sun will be rising an hour earlier than usual, having a good pair of "black out" curtains in the bedroom is the best way to keep the light from disturbing your sleep.