Surviving Daylight Savings Time
It’s that time of year again- when humans attempt to take advantage of every bit of sunlight possible with no concern with naturality or impact on our bodies. I’m talking about Daylight Savings Time of course! Are you dreading it? Did you even know it was coming? (I didn’t until yesterday) In this newsletter, I will be giving you some general trivia information as to what it is, why it affects us, how it affects our bodies, and how you can overcome the ensured sluggish end to the weekend.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140811-warning-this-may-make-you-yawn
What is Daylight Savings time?
It’s a practice first suggested in 1784 by Benjamin Franklin, but modern Daylight Savings Time practice didn’t start until 1908 in Ontario. The purpose is to make better use of natural daylight by setting clocks forward one hour from standard time during the summer months, and back again in the fall. This is where the phrase “Spring Forward, Fall Back” comes from to keep it straight.
What is a Circadian Rhythm?
Your body’s circadian rhythm is a natural internal clock. It is physical, mental, and behavioral changes and adjustments that follow a 24-hour cycle. These processes respond primarily to light and dark. An easy example is being awake during the day, and asleep during the night. However, your circadian rhythm aids in much more than sleep. It aids in eating habits and digestion, heart function, cognitive function, body temperature regulation, hormone release (cough *melatonin*cough), stress, mood and much more.
Why are you telling me these things?
When our circadian rhythm gets thrown off by a change in our sleep patterns, say, Daylight Savings Time, this has a ripple effect on many bodily functions. The part of the brain called the hypothalamus h is part of a bigger section called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), situated right above the point in the brain where the optic nerve fibers cross receives cues from the light environment, or direct input from the eyes. This part of the brain also controls the production of melatonin, which is a hormone that makes you sleepy. So, if this part of the brain controls melatonin, and receives input from the eyes, then as it gets darker outside, melatonin amounts increase to make you drowsy and ready for bed. (This is also where blue light from our electronic devices comes in, but that’s enough information for another newsletter entirely, but keep in mind it confuses our biological clocks).
Get to the point:
The point is when we change our clocks, even for just an hour, it will confuse the heck out of our biological clock. Think about switching time zones or working nightshift. This disrupts our body’s natural cycles, and our bodies get thrown out of wack, as do many regulatory functions, simply due to the backwards timing and lack of precious sleep.
How do I survive?!
In this day and age, immune suppression is at an all-time high and the chemicals involved in the immune system function peak while the body is at rest. OH WAIT you meant how do you survive Daylights Savings! I digress….
Here are a few tips for you to follow this weekend:
Stick to a schedule
While it’s beneficial to always go to bed and wake up at the same time year-round, it is more beneficial during daylight savings time to keep your biological clock ticking in time
Limit screen time
That’s right, the statement from above has come back. Blue light affects our melatonin levels, tricking our brain into thinking it’s daytime, and wreaking havoc on our internal clocks. Limit the screen time before bed, or wear blue light blockers, or even use apps that filter blue light to ensure a good night’s sleep
Take a cat nap
Yes, seriously. If necessary, you can take a cat nap on Sunday to help catch up on your sleep debt you will ultimately have from losing the hour of sleep
GET OUTSIDE
On Sunday, try to wake up at your normal time, then get outside into natural light. The natural light will help retrain our circadian rhythm and stimulate Vitamin D production, which then suppresses melatonin, helping wake us up and make us alert.
Try not to over-indulge in caffeine
I wouldn’t be a holistic wellness practitioner if I didn’t mention the caffeine intake. This would also make me a hypocrite, as I am a lover of caffeine, but it does have a negative side-affect on a lot of our hormone regulation functions. So even if you’re extra sleepy, try not to reach for that extra shot of java, or another cup of glory in the days following the DST shift.
And now for my #1 tip in surviving Daylight Savings Time this weekend:
Change your clocks the night before!
Your phones and smart devices update their time automatically, but your coffee maker, stove, microwave, and car do not! Changing your clocks before you go to bed will make the next morning much better when you feel like you are running late, and it also won’t be a blaring reminder that you lost an hour from the day before. Your bleary-eyed self will thank you.
GOOD LUCK and you GOT THIS!
Helpful Resources:
https://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/03/10/5-tips-handle-daylight-saving-time-change
https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2020/daylight-saving-time-switch.html
https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx
https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/
