It turns out, losing an hour of sleep and adjusting to an hour earlier schedule is really, really hard for some people, including New Yorkers. The loss of an hour can cause people to struggle with getting going in the morning, being productive at work or school, and adjusting to schedules and changing routines. The reason many individuals have a difficult time adjusting to Daylight Savings Time is that the body’s internal clock disagrees with the brain’s understanding of what time it really is, from looking at the clock. If you struggle with adjusting to the time change, grab a cup of java and read these tips to fuel your work and energy, even when the clock is working against you.
Plan Ahead and Prioritize Rest
Those who are habituated to minimum sleep may struggle the most with the hour loss associated with Daylight Savings Time. The “Spring Forward” time adjustment always happens early on a Sunday morning, to limit the amount of disruption to the standard workweek. This is not helpful for anyone that works on Sunday. Those that work a normal Monday through Friday week can take advantage of the weekend switch and start the adjustment early. You can reset your clock Saturday or even Friday, to give yourself more time to adjust, and go about your routines, meals, and activities earlier.
When it comes time to set the clock forward, the best way to ensure you are not tired is to make sure you get a full rest the night before. If you have trouble falling asleep, simply going to bed a full hour earlier may not be a solution. One easy way to ensure you go to bed early on Sunday is to get up early on Sunday and remain active throughout the day so that you know you’ll be tired and ready to go to sleep by the earlier bedtime. This type of “sleep planning” method is commonly used by pilots and others who have to go to sleep early, to ensure rest for very early non-standard wakeups.
Stay Healthy
Working out, eating healthy foods, being mindful of posture, and hydrating throughout the day are all ways you can take care of yourself and have the most energy during the day. The negative health effects that some people report with Daily Savings Time are not due to simply the hour change but from the lack of sleep itself. Known consequences of chronic lack of sleep are anxiety, depression, slowed reaction time, decreased motor skills and even increased risk of heart attack, stroke or cancer. Prioritize your rest and take care of yourself.
Take Smart Naps
Even if you have a large block of time to rest, long naps in the middle of the day are disruptive to sleep at night. You may also fall into the deeper stages of sleep and wake up with sleep inertia, the groggy feeling of feeling exhausted, and slightly disoriented. If you need to take a nap, limit it to no more than 30 minutes.
Drink Coffee at Work
Coffee at work is linked to increased levels of employee happiness, productivity, and positive energy, as well as higher focus and alertness levels. At Corporate Coffee Systems, we are always ready to offer you the help you need with coffee and breakroom solutions. Contact us today to allow us to create great tasting moments, and greater productivity in your workplace!