It’s that time of the year… time to turn our clocks again! Ever wonder how just one-hour of change in your schedule can leave you feeling tired and unbalanced? That’s because our circadian rhythm, the body’s natural cycle of human biological activity, needs time to adjust.

Every person has a master biological clock clicking throughout the body. Within a 24-hour cycle a person would generally sleep for approximately 8 hours and be awake for 16 hours. The function of the systems of the body are designed around this rhythm, but there are differences in the biological clocks for each of us.

Different people fall into different classifications called chronotypes. According to Dr. Michael Breus, The Power of When, chronotypes are based on an individual’s “morningness” and “eveningness” preferences. These preferences can include appetite, alertness, daily performance, reaction times, as well as our genetic sleep drive.

The circadian cycle is controlled by the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that receives signals about light and dark from our eyes. These signals trigger a cascade of events leading to hormone production including both epinephrine (adrenaline) and melatonin, two hormones that have opposite effects on our sleep and wakefulness patterns. A change in this cycle can lead to what is called circadian rhythm stress or “jet lag” and very similar to how we feel when we travel to different time zones.

A German study on the impact of Daylight Saving Time (DST) found that, for an 8-week period around the change in our social time, the autumnal time change (“fall back”) was easier for the body to make the transition. However, the vernal change (“spring forward’) was shown to have a greater negative impact on health. Several studies related to the spring forward change to DST showed an increase in traffic related accidents the week following the time change. This is believed to be due to sleep disruptions and rush hour driving in darkness.

So, what can we do to prepare for this transition? Here are a few things that can help reduce the effects of the disruption from the time change and improve your quality of sleep:

Avoid electronic devices and blue light from TVs, computers, and devices at least 30 minutes before bed. Consider blue light blocking glasses, keeping electronics out of your bedroom, and turning off wi-fi in your house at night.
Discover the best time to go to sleep based on your chronotype. Our individual norms are different than societies and many factors can play a part in that. In Dr. Michael J. Breus’ book The Power of When, he shares how “your chronotype is your unique biorhythm that allows you to discover the best time to do anything.” Find out what your chronotype is by taking his quiz HERE.
Turn the lights down, set the mood, and get cozy in the evenings. Try using incandescent vs LED light bulbs.
Sleep in a completely dark room. I love using my sleep mask at night. Click HERE learn how to determine if your room is dark enough for sleeping.
Give mouth taping a try. Mouth taping is something that we can do to ensure that we breathe through our nose at night, which helps us to get better quality sleep and support our immune system. Please check out this Mike Mutzel, MS podcast to learn all about the science behind mouth taping.
Keep your room cool. Studies have linked cooler temperatures to deeper, more restful sleep. Ideally, you’ll want to try setting the thermometer somewhere in the low to mid 60’s. The exact temp should be determined on your personal preference.
Try sleeping naked. Sleeping naked has numerous health benefits including falling asleep faster as well as reducing stress and anxiety.

No matter which (or all) of these tips you try, the most important thing is to create a simple routine that works for you and family. It’ll make it a little easier to adjust to the time change.

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME AND OUR NATURAL BODY CLOCK