Time To Spring Back from the Spring Forward

Who knew that just a single hour could make such a huge impact on your week. If you have felt a little more sluggish than usual this past week, it is most likely due to losing an hour from Daylight Savings Time (DST) this past Sunday.

Research shows that the effects of losing an hour may have a range of effects on health from feeling tired for a day or two to an increased risk of heart attack, traffic accidents and suicide during the first few weeks of DST.

So how do we deal with the time change? And when will be fully adjusted? It can reportedly take up to two weeks for school aged children to adjust.

So here are a few ideas to help us all Spring back from the :

o Go to Bed On Time. Resist the urge to stay up late or let your children to stay up later than usual. Use the weekend to get to a regular bedtime.

o Darken the Kids’ Room. Kids’ biological clocks are closely synchronized with light and since it doesn’t get dark until later, darken the room with curtains, shades, blinds, dark sheets, temporary blinds or whatever you have to block out the light.

o Rise and Shine. Wake up a little earlier over the weekend, even if you don’t have to be anywhere. Start the day off with exercise or some form of physical activity to get the serotonin flowing and release some endorphins (feel good hormones). Then have a healthy breakfast to reset your eating patterns. This will help you and the young people in your life get those body clocks back in rhythm.

o Enjoy the Sun. Science doesn’t have to tell us that after we have been hibernating all winter the sun feels good and give us extra energy. Something about getting outside makes you feel good so get out there and enjoy it!

o Zap the Nap. Adults may want to limit naps to a 20 minute power nap so that you are not up too late. For the kiddos, if naptime goes to late into the after then bedtime is sure to be a struggle so end it for them if they don’t wake up early enough.

o Tune Out. Stay away from any form of technology during the hour before going to bed and opt for a warm bath, a gentle massage and reading a good bedtime story.