"Spring Forward": 3 Tips to Help Improve Your Sleep During Daylight Savings Time
“Spring Forward” Daylight Savings Time and Impacts on Your Mental Health
Twice a year we deal with Daylight Savings Time and as we are approaching our time to “spring forward” in the upcoming days, I want to call attention how this can impact your mental health.
There are both pros and cons to Daylight Savings Time. Most often we think about “spring forward” as a good thing.
What is not to like?
For most of us it means that spring season is right around the corner and the days are longer with sunshine. The birds start to come back out and there are signs of fresh and new life around.
For those that experience Seasonal Affective Disorder this is also a welcome relief to come out of the fall and winter months when daylight is much less.
However, the biggest downside initially with Daylight Savings Time and “spring forward” is the adjustment to losing an hour of sleep. And for some folks this can be a big impact.
Continue reading the rest of this blog post to learn more about the effects of sleep loss and some tips on how to adjust your sleep for daylight savings time.
I am an anxiety therapist in Wilmington, NC. I specialize in counseling for women and provide treatment for anxiety, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and burnout. I provide virtual anxiety therapy to anxious high achiever women in Maryland and North Carolina.
Daylight Savings Time and the Effects of Sleep Loss
Our body naturally has its own sleep wake cycle called the circadian rhythm. This allows us to know when it is time to wake up and signals us when it is time to go to sleep. It is based off of the natural light and darkness schedule of the day.
Every year when we “spring forward” we lose that hour of sleep. And as a mental health therapist, I know how important sleep is and how essential it is to your mental health. If you have ever experienced sleep loss of any kind you know the effects it can have on your body and mind.
Sleep deprivation can easily continue to impact you for days and even weeks.
Sleep loss can have a major impact on your emotional response including increasing your anxiety levels and increasing any feelings of burnout you may be experiencing in areas of your life. The effects of sleep loss can also cause irritability, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and sometimes cause issues with your physical health as well.
To learn more about anxiety and burnout check out these blogs:
5 Tips for Choosing the Best Anxiety Therapist in Wilmington, NC
Understanding Your Anxiety and How to Treat It
3 Tips to Help Adjust Your Sleep During Daylight Savings Time
Check out these tips below to help improve your sleep during Daylight Savings Time “spring forward”
1st Tip: Adjust Your Bedtime Routine in Advance
Setting your alarm to start gradually waking you up a few minutes earlier each day until Daylight Savings Time begins can be a big game changer! This small and actionable step can really be a big gain in the long run.
Try This: 5-7 days before Daylight Savings Time begins, set your alarm to wake you up 10-15 minutes earlier than you would normally get up. Each day gradually increase the time. When the Monday after Daylight Savings Time comes you will already have started the adjustment.
2nd Tip: Resist Having Caffeine or Alcohol the Night Before Daylight Savings Time
Caffeine is a stimulant and increases your nervous system and brain. The exact opposite needed when trying to adjust your sleep.
A lot of time people believe alcohol helps to improve your sleep but in fact it can have the exact opposite fact and disrupt your sleep cycle. Alcohol intake before bed is know to actually cause insomnia (difficulty falling asleep). To learn more information on the effects of alcohol and sleep check out this post from the Sleep Foundation.
3rd Tip: No Exercising Before Bed
No exercising at least two hours before bedtime. Try getting all your steps in around midday. Exercising in the evening can lead to a higher arousal state when our body’s natural circadian rhythm is saying it is nighttime so it is time to slow the body down prepping for rest.
BONUS TIP: Relaxation Exercises
Add some relaxation exercises into your bedtime routine. This can help slow the body and mind down preparing you to have a more restful sleep. Check out some of the following suggestions and try one each night and see which ones work best for you.
Deep Breathing
Gentle and low impact stretching
Relaxing and Calm Imagery
Warm Shower or Bath
Using a Calm Scented Lotion on Your Body
Improve Your Sleep Habits with Therapy Today
Adjustments and changes related to Daylight Savings Time can be really hard and they can impact your mental health. If you notice your anxiety or feelings of burnout have become worse due to difficulty with sleep, reach out and lets work together to start getting things back on track.
Check out this page to learn more about me and my anxiety therapy practice, Calm Waters Counseling. I provide therapy for women for anxiety treatment, treatment for perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and burnout treatment.
I am licensed in Maryland and North Carolina and provide online anxiety therapy to anyone located in these 2 states.
Check out the information below to learn more about online therapy and online therapy services in Maryland and North Carolina.
Online Therapy in Maryland
Online Therapy in North Carolina
Is Online Therapy Right for Me?
Benefits of Using Online Therapy for Anxiety Relief
If you are ready to start therapy for anxiety, click the link below to set schedule your free 15 minute consultation.
By: Laura Rippeon, LCSW, LCSW-C
Updated 3/12/23