How Season Changes Can Affect Your Sleep And What To Do About It

If you have been feeling a little groggy since the recent time change you are not alone!  As we transition into Spring the clocks move ahead an hour and we lose an hour of sleep. Have you noticed that even with the slightest of sleep deprivation that your reaction times are slower and you’re less able to handle tasks that require concentration?

There are steps that you can take to help you be well rested.

Stick to a Sleep Schedule

At the start of a new season over the last few years I have found “The Good Night Sleep Cleanse” to be very beneficial.  You should try it! The first step is going to bed and waking up at the same time every day for seven days, even on weekends.  Ideally adults should be getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and children should be getting 9-13 hours depending on their age.

Create a Great Sleep Environment

Create a room that is ideal for sleeping.  This usually means keeping your bedroom cool and dark.  Clutter-free and quiet is also helpful.  Exposure to light can make it more difficult to fall asleep, so you may find it worthwhile to invest in some light blocking blinds or an eye mask to help filter the light.  Doing calming activities before bed can also help promote a good sleep.

Do a Brain Dump

Sometimes it is hard to fall asleep when you have a lot on your mind.  Perhaps you have a big audition or go-see the next day and the excitement or anxiety is running through your brain. Try to resolve any worries or stresses that you may have before you go to bed.  Do a brain dump, as I like to call it.  Jot everything down, in a journal or just on a pad of paper, everything that is on your mind and put it aside for tomorrow.  Meditation can also help to ease anxiety.

Watch What You Eat

Try not to go to bed hungry; but don’t go to bed with a full belly either!

According to Eating Well, Kiwi fruit “may be the ultimate pre-bed snack. When volunteers ate two kiwis an hour before hitting the hay, they slept almost a full extra hour, found research from Taipei Medical University in Taiwan. Kiwis are full of vitamins C and E, serotonin and folate—all of which may help you snooze.”

If you drink dairy, a glass of milk can also promote sleep as it contains tryptophan; which is a sleep promoting substance.

Keep Pets off the Bed

We love our pets; but having them sleep on your bed is probably not the best spot for them to be.

A good night sleep not only helps us to be our best selves, it is good for our overall health.

Sweet dreams!