How to Prepare for the Upcoming Time Change

You have no doubt already noticed the days are growing shorter. And soon, we will be changing our clocks, setting the time one hour back. Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday, November 3 at 2 AM EST. It is something most of us dread, but with a little planning and preparation, it does not have to be a difficult transition. MSN offers these tips to ensure you don’t lose sleep over the time change:

Rise, "shine" and beat the fall-back blues

Turning the clocks back when daylight saving time ends can help you get more sleep for one night. But you may feel a bit more tired in the days to come. Falling back means less light in the mornings. Waking up to go to work or school when it's still dark can be tough.

One way to beat the fall-back blues? Soak in some light first thing in the morning. It tells your brain to wake up. Four ways to do this:

• Open the blinds before you go to bed so the sun shines in as soon as it rises.
• Go outside as soon as possible once the sun comes up.
• Use a timer to turn on a bedroom lamp before your morning alarm goes off.
• If sunshine is scarce, try a light box. 

Resync your family's sleep clock

Make healthy sleep a priority for you and your family. These four steps can help you prevent some sleep troubles related to seasonal time changes.

• Adjust your bedtime. Go to bed about 15 minutes early each night, starting several days before the time change. This can help your body adjust.
• Dim the light. After moving the clocks ahead an hour, the sun may still be shining when it's time for some family members to go to bed. Room-darkening blinds or curtains can help it feel more like nighttime. Also, avoid electronics. The screens make you more alert, not sleepy.
• Get the right amount of sleep. If you're already short on sleep when the time change strikes, it's harder to adjust. Adults need at least seven hours of sleep every night. Children need more.
• Exercise. Working out helps signal to the body that it's time to get going in the morning.

You can read the full article here.

Regardless of the time of year, good sleep is important. With a little tweaking, you can ease the impact of the time change and get the rest you need! And since you know it coming, you can avoid being surprised or out of sync when we fall back this year.