In the early hours of the last Sunday of March we advance the clock one hour to adapt to summer time, a custom that is done throughout Europe to take better advantage of daylight and save on electricity consumption. However, it can affect our rest and our pace of life.
According to the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), our body has more difficulty adapting when it feels that it has “lost” an hour than when it wins. For this reason, this time change involves more adaptation difficulties than the one that occurs in autumn-winter. The most significant symptoms are: problems to fall asleep or waking up, tiredness during the day, confusion, general feeling of discomfort or exhaustion, headache, irritability, digestive discomfort and muscle pain.
Although our circadian rhythm is going to have to adapt irremediably, some guidelines can help us do it with the least possible damage:
Before the time change
- Slowly, advance the time to go to bed. For example, go to sleep 30 minutes before during the two days before the time change. Then, return to your normal schedule.
- The previous days rest a lot, eat healthy and do some exercise to get tired to bed.
- The day before the time change avoids caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals. Try to drink enough water.
After the time change
- It is important to spend as much time as possible outdoors and in sunlight.
- Avoid daytime naps to have more sleep at night.
- Keep a regular schedule both in food and sleep, at least during the first days.
- If you do not feel like going to sleep at the right time or you have trouble sleeping, a food supplement based on melatonin is a good option. This hormone that naturally produces our body helps relieve the feeling of jet lag and reduce the time necessary to fall asleep without causing drowsiness.
With these tips, we can help our body adapt to change and avoid disorders. Once installed in the new schedule, it only remains to enjoy the spring!