Daylight savings time: how to adjust and thrive

Now, as we all know the clocks change and time goes forward in March until it is reversed in October. This means that during the spring we can all enjoy evenings that aren’t pitch black like they can be during the winter as well as days that are just longer so that we end up getting more done. And yet, have you ever considered the impact that this system can be having on you, your family and your sleep? Daylight saving time (DST) does disrupt our usual routines which can throw our internal clocks out of balance. Therefore, here at Furnitureful we've decided that this is a matter that has to be covered through one of our blogs. So, we’re going to cover what DST is all about, what impact it can have on our sleep as well as what you can do to minimize or negate any negative effects of it. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!

What is Daylight Saving Time all about?

Daylight Saving Time refers to when clocks are advanced (typically by about one hour) during warmer months of the year so that darkness ends up falling later in the night, thereby giving people more time to enjoy the day whilst also ensuring that people are up and about when there is light.

How does Daylight Saving Time impact ur sleep and sleeping patterns?

The greatest way that Daylight Saving Time impacts our sleep is through our circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm gets thrown out of sync because we end up going to bed at a different time then normal and our bodies are just not expecting it. Research into this has shown that we end up deprived of sleep, with one study finding that on average a person ends up with 40 minutes less sleep on the Monday after the clocks change compared to any other day of the year.

Some ways to help you sleep at your best is to stick to a night routine that you can maintain and to also practice good sleep hygiene such as through washing your sheets regularly.