Daylight Savings Prep: Adjusting Your Sleep and Morning Habits for More Light
Source: Unsplash (@Greg Pappas)
If I were truly truthful… I have a confession to make. I have a horrible track record with Daylight Savings and the time change.
For example, last year, I swore I was going to be ‘prepared.’ I was going to bed early, and I was even going to meal prep! I was going to greet the new morning time change as a changed person, more disciplined and ready to start the day.
Instead, I stayed up until midnight binge- watching the new Bridgerton season, woke up the following day feeling like I had been hit by a truck, and spent the entire week after showing up to class groggy, with my brain trying to catch up to the hours lost.
Yeah, I’m not exactly proud of it.
But, here’s the best thing about the new year: we have the benefit of hindsight. This year, we are going to do it differently. We are going to outsmart the clock.
Phase 1: The Pre-Game (Start Now!)
I’d say that the biggest mistake that we often fall for is treating the time change like it’s a surprise party that we didn’t ask for. We stay up late Saturday, assuming that we will “sleep in” to fix our schedule, and then wonder why we wake up on Monday morning feeling dazed and muddled. Your body can’t cram for time changes.
The fix? We have to start shifting our schedule now, like, five to seven days before the time changes. Try moving things in 15-minute increments!
If you normally go to bed at 10:00 PM, try 9:45 PM on Tuesday.
Then, 9:30 PM on Wednesday.
Then, 9:15 PM on Thursday,
And so forth!
Why does this work? Your body runs on a circadian rhythm — a roughly 24-hour internal clock that is governed by your brain. This internal clock is what regulates the release of melatonin (the hormone that makes you all sleepy). But, our circadian rhythm is particularly stubborn. It only shifts about 60 to 90 minutes per day maximum, and that’s under ideal conditions. So, when we force it to jump forward an hour overnight, it basically rolls its eyes at you and keeps on releasing melatonin at the old times.
Phase 2: Join the Light Side
Light exposure is the primary cue for the circadian rhythm. When light hits the specialized cells in our retina (technically, they’re called photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, but I won’t quiz you on this), they signal our brain to lower melatonin production. More specifically, morning light is what sets our circadian rhythm for the entire day ahead.
As soon as you wake up, make sure to get some bright light in your eyes! Okay, don’t stare directly at the sun, but open the curtain to let the morning rays in. Step outside for five minutes, if you can. No worries if the sky is grey and cloudy. It’s still much brighter than your lamp - even an overcast day delivers about 1,000 lux of illumination, while your cozy bedroom might barely hit 100 lux.
You might notice that in the days after the change, you might still be feeling sleepy at the wrong hours. Help your body out by dimming the lights at night. Place your phone down and read a book before bedtime — you can even light a candle, if you’re feeling fancy. The blue light of your screens can suppress melatonin (studies show it can even delay sleep by up to 90 minutes!) So, retire the phone early, and your sleep cycle will thank you.
Phase 3: Establish a Morning Routine
Once the clocks change, honestly, mornings start to feel brighter. 7:00 AM will actually have bursts of sunlight in it. It’s the loveliest thing to wake up to.
To take advantage of this, I have been testing this effortless habit stack:
Wake up! (Non-negotiable, unfortunately.)
Drink water! (Keep a glass on your nightstand; yay for hydration!)
Go outside! (Or stand outside the window. No phone. Just appreciate and have that moment to ponder over your day ahead.)
Morning light exposure helps regulate your cortisol (which peaks after waking up), and you are essentially telling your body, “We are awake now. Let’s get the day started!”
Lastly, be easy on yourself. Even if you do everything right, you might still feel odd for a few days. That’s alright! It takes about a week to fully adjust to time changes.
I’ve been turning over this thought in my mind lately.
So much of our winter is spent tucked inside, bundled up with mountains of blankets and protecting ourselves from the biting cold. It is necessary, yes, and even comforting at times. But, it is also a kind of small death. A dimming of days.
Then, arrives March. And suddenly, the world tilts back to the sun.
We don’t truly lose the hour. It just gets redistributed. It still shows up at the end of the day, stretched out and golden, a reminder that we are still alive and that the world is still warm and that there is still time, after work, after school, after whatever weighs on us.
When the morning comes and the clock reads 8:00 AM but your body swears it is 7:00 AM, maybe just sit with that for a moment. Feel the strange gift of it all. Another year has passed yet again. The seasons continue to turn. And the light, lingering over our sleep-heavy eyes, is finally coming back.
And maybe, that is worth being tired for. Just for a day or two.