- Prepare now by getting as much light as possible each day to help your body rhythm adjust to the upcoming time change.
- Don’t consume extra caffeine to help combat daytime tiredness. Too much caffeine is bad for your heart.
- Don’t nap. Doing so can make it harder to sleep at night.
The best way to prepare for the time change is to make gradual lifestyle improvements year-round, Lloyd-Jones shares. Boost your physical activity. Have your cholesterol and blood pressure checked. Adopt good sleep habits and eat smart.
“These healthy lifestyle behaviors won’t only soften the annual biological clock shock, they are proven ways to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, helping you live a longer, healthier life,” Lloyd-Jones concludes.
In addition, insufficient sleep can cause problems outside of heart problems.
“This sleep disruption can impair your productivity, alertness and mood, and it may increase your risk of driving drowsy, especially if you don’t get plenty of sleep during the week leading up to the time change,” according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) President Dr. Douglas Kirsch.
The AASM recommends the following tips for the week leading up to March 13:
- Get at least seven hours of sleep (for adults) or eight hours of sleep (for teens) per night before and after the time change. You can use the AASM’s bedtime calculator to identify an appropriate nightly bedtime.
- Gradually adjust your sleep and wake times beginning two to three nights before the time change. Shift your bedtime 15 or 20 minutes earlier each night.
- For a few days before the time change, begin to adjust the timing of other daily routines that are “time cues” for your body. For example, start eating dinner a little earlier each night.
- On Saturday night, set your clocks ahead one hour in the early evening. Then go to sleep at your normal bedtime.
- Head outdoors for some early morning sunlight on Sunday. The bright light will help set your internal clock, which regulates sleep and alertness.
- Go to bed early enough on Sunday night to get plenty of sleep before the week begins on Monday.