Start Going To Bed Early Before A DST Change | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

9 Effective Ways to Cope With Daylight Savings Time

Whether it's spring forward or fall back, DST can seriously mess with you.

154
9 Effective Ways to Cope With Daylight Savings Time

At the time of writing, I am extremely tired. I am not a person who adjusts to a time change well, even if it is slight. I forgot to set my alarm forward for daylight savings time and suffered the consequences. And that's not to mention the hour of sleep we lost. Also considering the amount of sleep I will be having this week, I probably should have taken some precautions. If you are like me, here are some methods to cope with DST in the future.

Set Your Alarm Friday Night, Not On Saturday

Giphy

One method I have to try to make sure I can adjust easier to DST next time is to set my alarm correctly a night before the change, so I can have extra time to adjust to a modified sleep cycle.

Exercise A Few Hours Before Bed

Giphy

If on the Sunday after a time change you are not feeling very tired when it nears your bedtime, take a walk or run outside . and tire yourself out; this way you can ensure you are tired when it hits your usual bedtime and you can go to bed easier.

Limit All Light

Giphy

This tip applies to all scenarios, but light can mess up your circadian rhythm, or your body's biological clock. Wherever there is light, melatonin, or the sleep-inducing hormone, will not be produced. So you might want to reduce screen time and outside light exposure if you have trouble sleeping at an earlier time.

Stick To Water

Giphy

This goes without saying, but drinks other than water can mess up your sleep schedule more than DST is already going to. Water is your best chance at maintaining a solid sleep schedule. If you really crave something other than water, find something without alcohol or caffeine, but definitely do not drink Red Bull.

Go To Bed Earlier/Later Than Usual on DST Change Night

In the spring, sleeping an hour earlier can help you adjust a lot easier than normal. The same goes for sleeping an hour later in the fall, but some people enjoy that feeling of extra refreshment with one more hour of sleep.

Start Going To Bed Early Before A DST Change

Giphy

This tip is mainly for the DST change in the spring, because the loss of one hour of sleep may be hard to adjust to. If you start preparing a few days early, you'll have no problem adjusting, because practice makes perfect.

Don't Nap Before A DST Change

You may not need to nap, but sleep-deprived people and many others need them to get through a day. However, napping also messes with your sleep schedule often, and it does not help if DST is starting or ending the night of your nap. Your best bet is to hold off on napping until after DST to ensure you can get back into rhythm.

Take Melatonin If You Really Need It

upload.wikimedia.org

If you really struggle to sleep and Daylight Savings makes it even harder for you, you might want to consider taking melatonin. Melatonin is the natural substance used by your body to induce sleep, and administering it will cause this same effect. You can find this drug OTC pretty much anywhere with a pharmacy.

Stay Extremely Cautious On The Roads

farm8.staticflickr.com

This tip has less to do with avoiding sleep deprivation, but more to do with safety. Studies show that in the days following DST, there is an increase in car accidents. While it is always important to be cautious, exercise extreme caution after DST changes.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

Yoga love

A long over due thank you note to my greatest passion.

26231
A person in a yoga pose surrounded by a supportive community of fellow yogis with a look of peace and gratitude on their face the image should convey the sense of strength mindfulness and appreciation that the writer feels towards yoga
StableDiffusion

Dearest Yoga,

You deserve a great thank you.

Keep Reading...Show less
Arts Entertainment

Epic Creation Myths: Norse Origins Unveiled

What happened in the beginning, and how the heavens were set in motion.

7489
The Norse Creation Myth

Now, I have the everlasting joy of explaining the Norse creation myth. To be honest, it can be a bit kooky, so talking about it is always fun. The entire cosmos is included in this creation myth, not just the earth but the sun and the moon as well. This will be a short retelling, a summary of the creation myth, somewhat like I did with Hermod's ride to Hel.

Keep Reading...Show less
Old school ghetto blaster sat on the floor
8tracks radio

We all scroll through the radio stations in the car every once in a while, whether its because we lost signal to our favorite one or we are just bored with the same ol' songs every day. You know when you're going through and you hear a song where you're just like "I forgot this existed!" and before you know it, you're singing every word? Yeah, me too. Like, 95% of the time. If you're like me and LOVE some good throwback music, here's a list of songs from every genre that have gotten lost in time, but never truly forgotten.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

27 Hidden Joys

Appreciation for some of life's most discredited pleasures.

37190
Best Things in Life

Life is full of many wonderful pleasures that many of us, like myself, often forget about. And it's important to recognize that even on bad days, good things still happen. Focusing on these positive aspects of our day-to-day lives can really change a person's perspective. So in thinking about the little things that make so many of us happy, I've here's a list of some of the best things that often go unrecognized and deserve more appreciation:

Keep Reading...Show less
beer on the beach

Summer is hot and humid, and it's almost like summer was made specifically to drink the refreshing, cold, crisp wonderful, delicious, nutritious nectar of the gods. Which is none other than beer; wonderful cold beer. With summer playing peek-a-boo around the corner while we finish up this semester, it's time to discuss the only important part of summer. And if you haven't already guessed, it's beer. There are few things I take more seriously than my beer, in order are: sports... and beer. Here are my favorite summer brews:

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments