Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Sleep tips to help you "spring" forward

Daylight saving time can be a welcomed time of year giving more daylight hours or a dreaded time of year stealing one hour from the night.  And it’s coming up soon. Sunday we will spring forward an hour.

Whatever perspective taken, most people still struggle with adjusting their sleep schedules to daylight saving time.  The end result is more days of being exhausted due to lack of sleep or maybe it’s the lack of hours to sleep.

Losing an hour of sleep can truly be detrimental to most of us since our bodies require at least eight hours of restful sleep in order to function properly.

So how do we effectively adjust?

The National Sleep Foundation provides a few tips that may ease the adjustment to daylight saving time:
Be prepared. Start now to set an earlier bed time.
Utilize shades to darken the bedroom.  This can be an effective way to create a dark atmosphere conducive to sleep.  Longer days can be a challenge if the bedroom has too much light.
Make the bedroom a place of relaxation for sleep.  Try not to have too many activities going on in the bedroom.  Allow your mind to relax which will in turn allow your body to sleep restfully.

“Adjusting to daylight saving time does not have to be an overwhelming obstacle,” says Brian Andrews, RRT, Director of Cardiopulmonary and Sleep Services at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville. “Getting plenty of rest and allowing time for that will aid in your adjustment.  By following these tips you will be ready to start a brand new day.”

How do you work to prepare yourself and your family as we spring forward an hour?

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