Don't Lose Sleep Over It!

Beat the Clock - 6 Tips for Adjusting to Daylight Savings Time
The "spring forward" time change is only an hour of lost sleep, but it can feel like a lot more!  Here I wanted to share a few tips for making the adjustment easier, and for improving sleep in general.


Tuesday’s Tip  
Starting tonight, prepare for the “spring forward” by going to sleep 15 min earlier each night.  Set a reminder alarm on your phone (and stick to it!;-)

Wednesday’s Tip 
Magnesium is a nutrient that’s really important for healthy sleep. Magnesium helps relieve stress and calm your nerves. It also helps regulate the levels of the sleep hormone melatonin. This helps prepare you for sleep, and produces deeper, more restful sleep.  You can get it as a cream or spray to apply to the skin, in powder form to create a fizzy bedtime drink, and in supplement form as well.

Thursday’s Tip 
Lavender oil is a popular remedy for sleep enhancement. Lavender helps by soothing the nervous system and relaxing your mind.  Diffuse it in your bedroom or apply a drop to the acupoint Spleen 1, located at the bottom corner of the big toe nearest the outside edge of the foot.  This point is great for quieting a restless, worried mind.

Friday’s Tip 
I hope no one stays up until the middle of the night to turn the clock forward!  But just in case you do, or if you wait until the next morning, change the clocks before going to sleep on Saturday.  This will help you get to bed a little earlier than you otherwise might (if you’ve slacked on Tuesday’s Tip  ;-)

Saturday’s Tip  
Spend as much time outside Sunday morning to preserve and regulate your internal clock – aka your circadian rhythm.  The circadian rhythm relies on natural daylight for cues of when our bodies should be awake vs sleepy. Exposing oneself to daylight as early as possible after waking up can help reset the sleep-wake cycle - and lead to better sleep.

Sunday’s Tip 
Practicing good sleep habits is ESSENTIAL, especially today and the rest of this week.

Stick to your daily schedule as much as possible – wake up at your normal time, eat at your normal mealtimes, go to sleep at your normal bedtime, etc. Take a nap if needed but don’t make it long – limit to 20 minutes.
-Limit the amount of caffeine and/or alcohol you have, especially closer to bedtime. 
-Minimize blue light exposure (from electronics) at least an hour before bedtime.  And begin turning off any unnecessary household lighting after sundown.
-Avoid eating or snacking after 7pm (notice if you wake up less groggy this week when you try this tip!)