The reason the clock change can have such an effect is because our circadian rhythm is designed to stay in the same cycle each day and night, give or take a few minutes here and there, and can’t easily adjust a full hour in one go. In fact, for some it can take days to recover.

The resulting tiredness caused when our body clocks are out of sync can have serious repercussions, impacting our concentration, creativity, memory and focus, and the more sleep deprived we are, the worse we feel.

Although we may mourn the loss of that hour for a short period of time, one of the biggest benefits of ‘springing forward’ is that we are treated to lighter evenings, allowing us to get more out of each day. More daylight means more sunlight too, and the Vitamin D our bodies produce when exposed to the sun has many important functions, such as supporting our immune systems and regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorous. It is also vital for maintaining healthy teeth and bones, and helps us to remain healthy and fight diseases. Without enough vitamin D, we can feel lethargic, weak and even depressed.

Your simple plan for easing into daylight savings
Here is an easy three-step plan to manage the clock change. It involves staggering your body clock adjustment and moving your mealtimes too (only by a little each day) with the aim to effortlessly ease you into British Summer Time.

1. Friday
On the Friday prior, get outside in the early morning sun to help strengthen your body clock. Do some physical activity, preferably more than normal, to make yourself extra tired. If traditional exercise isn’t your thing, maybe take the dog for an extra walk, do some gardening or maybe some household chores you’ve been putting off, but don’t do anything too strenuous too close to bedtime as the increase in core body temperature can make it hard to get to sleep. And lastly, make a concerted effort to go without caffeine all day. This will help make you tired earlier as the day goes on, making it easier for you to fall asleep half an hour earlier than your usual bedtime in the evening.

2. Saturday
Go for a walk outside in the morning and reward yourself with a delicious breakfast, but continue to avoid caffeine so that you will naturally feel more relaxed in the evening. Along with daylight, food is another initiator of the body clock. Adjust your lunch and evening meal to half an hour earlier than usual and go to bed a full hour earlier than normal (so 30 minutes earlier than Friday). Ensure that you have a relaxing evening by keeping your lighting dimmed and limiting your use of technology. In addition, you could take a warm bath about 45 minutes before retiring to bed to help promote a restful state of mind.

3. Sunday
As a result of your efforts on Friday and Saturday, on Sunday morning you will wake up refreshed without having lost any sleep! All your mealtimes will naturally fall into place and you won’t need to worry about inadvertently misjudging your bedtime on Sunday night as you will already be perfectly in sync with British Summer Time, ready to start your week fully recharged and ready for anything.

Sources:

1. Dreams.
2. Sleep Council.
3. Eve Sleep.
4. Sleep Site.
5. Boston Globe.