How to Protect Your Health and Energy During the End of Daylight Savings Time

Introduction

The end of Daylight Savings Time (DST) is upon us. While some look forward to gaining that extra hour of sleep, for others this annual transition can make us feel out of sorts.

This abrupt change in your daily schedule can have significant impacts on your health and energy levels. As the days grow shorter (and nights longer), you may be feeling groggy, irritable, and less energized than you typically are.

This challenging adjustment can be tied back to disruptions in your circadian rhythm, the natural 24-hour cycle present within your body.  Below, we explore some effects that tend to present when switching our clock back that extra hour and give you tools to protect your health and energy levels during this change.

Why Am I So Tired When the Clocks Change?

Before we dive into strategies to help protect against some of these negative impacts, let’s first break down what happens during the end of DST. 

Moving the clock back 1 hour each fall might get us that extra hour of shut eye, but the decrease in daylight hours can have several consequences, one of the biggest being disrupted sleep patterns.

The abrupt time change can impact your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm), making it harder to fall asleep and wake up at your usual times. This can impact daytime sleepiness, concentration, and even mood.

The end of Daylight Savings is also often accompanied with a fatigue that can make us wonder why this seemingly insignificant, 1-hour change, can have such profound impacts on energy levels.

Let’s break some of these down:

• Less sun exposure and reduced exposure to natural light can majorly impact energy levels. For those working the typical 9-5 schedules, many find themselves completely disconnected from daylight. Because your body requires this light to regulate your internal clock, its absence can lead to disruptions in circadian rhythm and make you feel excessively tired.

• For those who live in regions with colder climates, this effect can be even worse. The brisk and chilly weather can make it harder to get outside for activities, and in turn, reduce sunlight exposure even more. The combination of less light and colder temperatures can have a compounding effect, worsening that tired feeling.

• The concept of “social jetlag” can also be at play. This term refers to a misalignment between your body’s natural clock and the schedule you follow for work, school, or other activities¹. This can lead to differences in when you prefer to sleep or be active. Some people naturally enjoy waking up and going to bed early, while others prefer late hours. These preferences can be influenced by many things, including Daylight Savings. This mismatch between times you want to be active versus when you need to be active can make you feel tired and out of sorts.

• As hinted above, there is also a shift towards more indoor time during this time of year. This can impact physical activity levels and exposure to fresh air. Sedentary lifestyles and limited outdoor exposures can zap vitality and contribute to your fatigue levels.

• Finally, the shift in seasons can also impact digestion. Often, this is called “lower digestive fire”, based on Ayurvedic concepts². Colder weather causes our bodies to naturally slow down, which can affect metabolism and energy levels. Combined with all the above factors, this can leave you feeling unusually tired.

The good news is, that by implementing some of the strategies below, you can protect your health and energy during this transition!

6 Tips to Survive and Thrive Through the Fall Time Change

1) Ensure at least 5 minutes of natural light exposure in the morning

Exposing your body to natural light first thing in the morning can be a powerful tool in re-setting sleep patterns following the time change. 

Dr. Huberman, a neuroscientist who is a big proponent of this practice, advises getting out for at least 5-10 minutes to help increase early-day cortisol release to wake your body up and give you energy. This anchoring of your circadian rhythm also prepares your body for better sleep that night.

This can be even more important during the shorter days of fall and winter. Take breaks outside, go for a walk during your lunch break, and open curtains to let in as much sunlight as possible. For those who experience severe light deprivation, light therapy lamps can be beneficial in regulating mood and energy levels.

2) Take vitamin D3 and magnesium

Supplementing with Vitamin D3 and magnesium might be helpful during DST to support overall health and well-being, especially as the days become shorter and you have less exposure to natural sunlight³.

Vitamin D3 is crucial for energy and circadian rhythm⁴. Most people are already deficient, especially those who live in climates that experience cold winters⁵. 

Often referred to as “the sunshine vitamin”, vitamin D is typically produced when your skin is exposed to sunlight. During fall and winter months, your body’s natural production could go down to nonexistent due to low sun angles, less skin being exposed, and more time spent indoors.

Magnesium works closely with Vitamin D and plays an important role in regulating sleep⁶. During time shifts in the fall and spring, your sleep patterns can become disrupted as your body adjusts to the changing clock. 

Magnesium supplements can be helpful for promoting better sleep quality and potentially reduce the impact of sleep disruptions ⁷. It is also helpful for calming the nervous system, if you experience additional stress during this time of year.

3) Slowly adjust your sleep time and take naps

One of the most notable effects of DST is shifts in sleeping patterns. But, by slowly shifting your sleep schedule, you can help your body adapt and feel more energized. Go to bed and wake up 15 minutes earlier each day, helping your body adapt more smoothly to the new routine.

A short afternoon nap can be another tool to help improve energy, but aim to keep it less than 30 minutes and before 2 pm in the afternoon. This can help prevent sleep inertia and interference with nighttime sleep.

If you have trouble winding down for bed, optimizing your sleep environment can also be helpful. This can include making sure your room is quiet, dark, and a comfortable temperature. Remove electronic devices that might exert blue light which can interfere with sleep. 

A weighted blanket can also help ease sleep onset, and a white noise machine might be effective for masking noise that might be keeping you awake. Lastly, sleep supplements like Sleep Breakthrough and Dream Optimizers can also promote sleep onset and quality sleep. 

4) Be careful with caffeine

While you may feel a little more inclined to reach for that cup of joe during this time of year, it might be doing you more harm than good. Caffeine blocks adenosine, a molecule that helps you sleep at night⁸. This can have several consequences, including sleep disruption.

When you consume caffeine too late in the day, it can disrupt your circadian rhythm by altering the timing and quality of your sleep. This can exacerbate your fatigue and disrupt your sleep schedule – making it harder to fall asleep and wake up at the adjusted times. 

And, when you are already experiencing a shift in your sleep schedule (like with DST or its ending), your body may become more sensitive to the stimulating effects of caffeine. This can make it even more challenging to get the quality of sleep you need.

It is best to limit caffeine intake during this time of year, especially in the afternoon or evening. Pay attention to your body’s response, certain people can be more sensitive to its effects than others. It is better to find other ways to energize–getting out for some fresh air or exercise can be good strategies!

5) Support your digestion

Ayurveda suggests that our digestive fire, or “angi” can fluctuate with the seasons, and the transition from summer to fall, which coincides with daylight saving time in the fall, can be a time when agni may weaken⁹.

During this time, cooked foods with warming properties are generally recommended to help support digestion and mitigate afternoon energy slumps. Cooked foods are generally easier to digest compared to raw or cold foods and can help the body process nutrients more efficiently and with less strain on the digestive system.

These foods are also inherently warming in nature, and this warmth can complement the body’s needs as the external temperature drops. Ayurveda often recommends them to balance the cooling effects of the fall season, which can help maintain the strength of the digestive fire.

If you feel like you may need even more of a boost, consider supplementing with digestive enzymes, such as HCl Breakthrough or MassZymes to replenish digestive powers and optimize nutrient absorption.

6) Try adaptogens and acupuncture to support the transition

Adaptogens are natural plant substances that help the body adapt to stress and maintain balance. They can be particularly useful during daylight saving time transitions because they support the body’s ability to cope with stress and regulate its internal clock¹⁰.

Acupuncture can support energy flow and promote balance. This Traditional Chinese Medicine practice might help you reset and regulate circadian rhythm, improve energy, support stress response, and improve sleep quality¹¹.

Final Words

Overall, it is important to maintain consistency during this time of year. Stick to a routine that incorporates some of the principles discussed above and be patient and kind to yourself. This transition does not have to be challenging, and with the right tools, you can thrive during this time of year!

References

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