Over the weekend, the clocks “fell” back, and right on cue people began complaining of feeling tired, out of sorts, just not quite right. For all the positive aspects of daylight savings, like more light in the morning and that sneaky extra hour of sleep on the first night, the sense that the days have suddenly been massively truncated is hard to ignore. Pretty soon, it will be dark when we leave for work and dark by the time we get home.
Sleep physiology expert Jana Fernandez confirms that this time of year requires a little adjusting to. Because, even though we’ve technically gained an hour of sleep, our body still needs to readjust its circadian rhythm, which can take anywhere between three and five days.
“This clock change actually promotes a more stable biological rhythm than during the summer months,” Fernandez says. According to the expert: “Daylight savings improves mental performance and helps to reduce the onset of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, insomnia and depression.”
If you’re still struggling to adjust your routine, here are four tips to help you adapt to the shorter days.
Try the 5/10/20 rule
Exposure to natural light is important to regulate our internal clocks, and is one of the best tools for coping with change. Author Mel Robbins believes in natural light exposure so much she’s gone so far as to create a rule: the 5/10/20 approach. Robbins refers to the myriad studies that support exposing ourselves to daylight first thing in the morning. Doing so helps situate our internal clocks, improve sleep quality and promote a feeling of wellbeing. Here’s how to do it:
- Expose yourself to daylight for 5 minutes if it’s sunny
- Expose yourself to daylight for 10 minutes if it’s cloudy
- Expose yourself to daylight for 20 minutes if it’s raining
Time your meals with daylight
Whenever feasible, Fernandez says we should try and eat our meals – especially our biggest or main meals – within daylight hours, as that’s what the body is primitively prepared for.
Practise self-compassion
Fernandez says that “treating ourselves with affection” and lowering the demands we place on ourselves is critical. “It’s important, during this initial transition period but also more generally, not to push yourself to the limit in terms of physical activity or consuming excess caffeine,” she says. These things will only prolong how long it takes your body to adapt, she warns.
Read More
Coffee is beneficial for you—in moderation. Experts weigh in on how much coffee to drink and what to do if you accidentally overdo it.
Switch on your phone’s red light filter
As we know, being exposed to blue light at night (from our phones, computers and television screens) suppresses melatonin – the sleep hormone – and raises glucose levels, both of which prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.
The best solution is to keep your phone outside of the bedroom while you sleep. If that doesn’t work for you, though, activating the red light filter on your phone after 8pm will help to soften the stimulating effect of blue light.
Another option is to replace your bedroom light with a red light. “This warm, dim, reddish light allows the secretion of melatonin to begin,” Fernandez explains. If rearranging your electronics feels like a step too far, stick to the red light filter on your phone or a pair of red light glasses. Job done.