Does your sleep rhythm also suffer from the clock changing to wintertime?

This weekend in the night of Saturday October 28 on Sunday October 29, the clock changes from daylight savings time to standard time also called wintertime. This means that the clock is set back one hour. You might think how wonderful, one extra hour of sleep, and that is true. But not everyone experiences this change as pleasant. In this blog I will discuss the influence of this change on your day and sleep rhythm and which tips can help with this.

The influence on your biological clock after the start of wintertime

Your biological clock ensures that all kinds of processes in the body are tuned at the right time of the day, such as sleep, digestion and the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Because you can suddenly go to bed an hour later and get up an hour later, your biological clock takes a small blow and is temporarily disrupted. Haven’t you noticed that you are sleepy earlier the first nights and wake up earlier in the morning?

According to an article from @everydayhealth, wintertime is much more attuned to our circadian rhythm, the 24-hour rhythm of our biological clock, which regulates your sleep-wake rhythm and body temperature, among other things. Our biological clocks are programmed to wake up when it is light and to sleep when it is dark. Wintertime offers more light in the morning and less in the evening.

Changing to wintertime means an hour less light. Some of us need to get used to this. The fatigue that you can experience with this is called a mini jet lag.

By the way, did you know that one hour more sleep at the start of wintertime results in 21% fewer heart attacks? A similar reduction is seen in the number of traffic accidents.

Tips to deal with the wintertime as best as possible

💤 Maintain a good sleep rhythm. In the week of changing the clock, you can work towards your new bedtime in a few days. An example is to sleep 15 minutes later every 4 days. This slowly gives your body time to work on the new rhythm. Changing the clock can also take some getting used to for children. A regular routine is also very important for them. Therefore, start with going to bed later in the week of the start of wintertime.

🔅 Go outside as much as possible during the day and take in the light well. Morning sunlight, in particular, signals your body that it's morning and it's time to wake up, realigning your body's circadian rhythms for wintertime. Getting enough daylight during the day will also help you sleep more easily at night.

🛏 No naps during the day. These reduce the sleep pressure that you build up during the day, making it more difficult for you to fall asleep at night. Sleep pressure is the brain's need for (deep) sleep and mainly affects the intensity of your sleep. This need grows the longer you are awake.

⏰ Before going to sleep you can set all clocks to the new time. You are more likely to get used to it easier the next day.

Sources: @everydayhealth @matthewwalker