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| Tiffany Cunningham |
In the wonderful/crazy world of public relations, the spring forward a couple of weekends ago has really thrown me for a loop. I’m not able to go to bed until after midnight; the sun’s not rising until 7:40 a.m. doesn’t help with my morning schedule before work; and I’m exhausted by 5 p.m. every day, so far.
The real issue isn’t daylight saving time; the issue is my sleep habits. In fact, up to 40 percent of Americans don’t have healthy sleep habits, which cause some symptoms of insomnia – not being able to fall asleep easily, or daytime drowsiness. For me, daylight saving time makes my poor sleep even worse, and I want to share a few sleeping tips I read recently on Medical Daily online to help smooth the transition for any others out there who are still feeling the effect.
Soak up the sun during waking hours:
One of the best ways to reset your internal clock is to soak up the sun during the day. Next week, I’ll be making small outings at lunch to help suppress my sleep-inducing hormone known as melatonin.
Take a low dose of melatonin:
I don’t have an issue falling asleep when I hit the pillow, but on nights that I feel extra energized, taking less than 0.3 milligrams of melatonin in the late afternoons on the weekends will aid in falling asleep faster or staying asleep longer. The National Sleep Foundation says that it’s inactive during the day, but it is “turned on” by the supra-chiasmatic nucleus at night.
I don’t have an issue falling asleep when I hit the pillow, but on nights that I feel extra energized, taking less than 0.3 milligrams of melatonin in the late afternoons on the weekends will aid in falling asleep faster or staying asleep longer. The National Sleep Foundation says that it’s inactive during the day, but it is “turned on” by the supra-chiasmatic nucleus at night.
Exercise in the sunlight before 5 p.m. – daily:
Luckily, one of the benefits of daylight saving time is that the sun is out when I get home from work. A lot of my workouts have been on nearby trails or walking my dog around the neighborhood when the sun is still shining. Sunlight and exercise can boost serotonin production, and its release in the brain, which can offset the effects of daylight saving time.
Luckily, one of the benefits of daylight saving time is that the sun is out when I get home from work. A lot of my workouts have been on nearby trails or walking my dog around the neighborhood when the sun is still shining. Sunlight and exercise can boost serotonin production, and its release in the brain, which can offset the effects of daylight saving time.
Avoid caffeine after noon and avoid alcohol consumption after dinner:
Although this week I’ve felt like grabbing something caffeinated several times in the afternoon I keep sticking to the water to help push me through the day. A study by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that 400 milligrams of caffeine consumption even six hours before bedtime can disrupt your sleep cycle. It takes one hour per drink to process alcohol and is recommended that if you want to drink, you should do it one hour before sleeping.
Although this week I’ve felt like grabbing something caffeinated several times in the afternoon I keep sticking to the water to help push me through the day. A study by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that 400 milligrams of caffeine consumption even six hours before bedtime can disrupt your sleep cycle. It takes one hour per drink to process alcohol and is recommended that if you want to drink, you should do it one hour before sleeping.
Follow a consistent bedtime schedule, even on the weekends:
This is impossible for me, but I will try to make my sleeping hours as consistent as possible to help get over the hurdle of sleep deprivation I’m causing myself. An interesting fact I learned was that our internal body clocks adjust to time and schedule changes slowly. At least there’s one excuse for being a little slower this week.
It’s important to take care of your health, even when the weather is perfect and the sun is out until 8 p.m. – just remember sleep is important and vital for productivity in the work place.
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