This Sunday is daylight savings and everyone is preparing for it. Daylight saving time is intended to make the best use of the longer daylight hours — the result of a tilt in the Earth’s axis — during the coming half year by setting clocks forward one hour in spring and back in fall. Every year we set our clocks forward for daylight savings, and little did we know we were setting back our bodies when we do it. Daylight savings heavily affects our circadian rhythm and causes our bodies to be out of whack. So what exactly is circadian rhythm and why is it so important?
What Are Circadian Rhythm
Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a daily cycle. They respond primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment. Sleeping at night and being awake during the day is an example of a light-related circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms are found in most living things, including animals, plants, and many tiny microbes. The study of circadian rhythms is called chronobiology. Your circadian rhythm an affect everything from sleep, your metabolism, mood, bodily functions, and productivity.
How Do You Adjust
If you are getting seven to eight hours of sound sleep and go to bed a little early the night before, you may wake up feeling refreshed. If you are sleep-deprived already, getting by on six hours, you’re probably in a bit of trouble. When it comes to sleep you can do a number of things to help you adjust. You can reduce or eliminate caffeine and alcohol, exercising several hours before bedtime, creating calming rituals before bed to gradually relax. When you’ve got your sleeping in order, everything else should come a lot easier. It might take a day or two to adjust but if you prep early, you should be fine. It’s very important to pay attention to the changes going on in your body during daylight savings time.
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