It is time to make some changes if you want to wake up Monday morning a little easier. With the impending daylight saving change, we should start adjusting our sleep times now.
For those who observe daylight saving time, this Sunday at 2 A.M. the clocks will move forward one hour. Remember the simple mnemonic: Fall back, spring ahead. For most of us, this means one hour less sleep and a harder time getting up in the days that follow.
A recent study showed that this change can lead to a 6% increase in cardiac events, including heart attacks on the days following the change. Therefore, it might be a good idea to plan for a little extra sleep by going to bed early.
This can be phased in before the change, rather than abruptly losing an hour of sleep and trying to catch up. Go to bed 15 minutes early and get up 15 minutes earlier each of the 4 days preceding the clock adjustment.
If you have procrastinated and missed your opportunity before the change, don't give up hope. Instead, try going to bed an hour early tonight. Over the next few days go to bed 15 minutes later until you return to your previous bedtime. This may make it easier to get up in the morning -- at a time that feels like an hour too early.
Making this adjustment gradually will hopefully soften the blow and leave you a little less bleary-eyed when you roll out of bed.
Every single time we change the clocks – either behind or ahead, I end up getting physically ill on the
following Sunday and Monday. I don’t
know why I get sick so soon after the time has been changed, but it’s really something I do not look forward to each spring and autumn.