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Preparing for Daylight Saving Time

Posted by Tara Hire on

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On November 2nd at 2 am the clocks in most parts of the US will fall back one hour. We will gain an hour of daylight early in the day and lose an hour late in the day. One hour doesn’t seem like a big change, but it can be a real saboteur to your healthy routine. It can take people a week or so to get adjusted, sleeping and work schedules get thrown off and therefore the rest of your schedule including your exercise and eating time may go through a period of adjustment.

To prepare for this adjustment to the time the sun rises and falls, start planning a few days before.

  • Start rising with the sun today and get up 15 minutes earlier every day until Sunday when you will rise with the sun an hour earlier. Here on Monhegan the sun will rise at 7:08 am on Wednesday and at 6:14 am on Sunday. By the time Sunday roles around I will have eased myself into the 6:14 am sun rise.
  • Go to bed earlier to match the earlier rising time. If you need 5, 6, or 8 hours of sleep per night (everyone is different, so meet your needs) then be sure to go to bed at a time that will allow for the amount of sleep you need.
  • The sun sets earlier too, schedule time to be outdoors during the time the sun is up. Getting out in the sun everyday helps you to meet your Vitamin D needs which helps you to sleep more soundly and influences your good mood. Especially if you work inside a building that does not get much light, it can feel depressing to go into work when it is dark and come out and it still be dark. Make time to get outside and in the sun when you can.
  • Plan for the change in your exercise schedule. If you typically take a walk or run after work, you may have to change to morning or lunch time so that you aren’t exercising in the dark. Or try a new exercise activity that is not dependent on being outdoors, like yoga or swimming.

The change in time can throw off your healthy routine, don’t let this one hour sabotage you. Take the next few days to ease into the time change and make plans to get the sleep, exercise, and outdoor time you need to feel great.