Spring Ahead

“Spring ahead”. The promise of the day staying lighter outside for longer, come spring and summer, seems nice in the long run but the initial act of “springing” (losing an hour of sleep), can be tough on a lot of people. We think ahhh spring is coming, and then summer months, beach days, barbecues, time outside with family and friends, which brings many of us something to look forward to after a long, dark, and cold winter. In addition, when we hear, “lose an hour of sleep”, the majority of us think that will make for a tired Sunday, and maybe even Monday too, but in reality, a lot of people are affected for the next few weeks as their bodies adjust to the change in our body’s clock.

If your sleep has been different this last week, you're not alone. Some people are struggling, and it may not occur to them as to why. It all has to do with our circadian rhythm, our body’s 24-hour cycle, that regulates many things in our bodies including sleep. When our bodies are forced to shift an entire hour forward in our sleep/wake cycle, this is a major change our bodies have to deal with and adjust to!

Well, will it be a few days of adjustment? It could be, but it also could be several weeks, or even months for some people. Our bodies and our natural clock are sensitive, and the adjustment can absolutely take time. We can have trouble falling asleep at night, maybe we wake up during the night a few times, or also we could wake up very early, all causing tiredness throughout the next day which can then make for a sluggish couple of weeks as well. Tiredness and sleep problems aren’t the only thing that daylight savings time can bring on. Interestingly, there is also a marked increase in heart attacks, stroke, motor vehicle accidents, and work accidents due to the tiredness, as well as increased depression, anxiety, and suicides to just name a few. There are also some people who never really adjust fully either way (in the fall and then again in the spring every single year). 

A good night's sleep, a week after daylight savings time can remain a challenge for some people more than others. There are some things you can do to help combat this, but as something we have to adapt to twice a year, and both are different changes in the fall and in the spring, we have to also keep in mind that everyone is different, and if some people don’t seem affected, and you are, you aren’t alone. Also, if you find yourself having difficulty adjusting currently (this spring), it's not a bad idea to take note of this, and keep in mind for next year as far as planning your life and events that may coincide with these same weeks in the future. Additionally, you may be able to take some precautionary measures next year as well to help with the effects daylight savings causes for you.