Fatigue, difficulty concentrating, waking up early or having trouble sleeping: some people feel the effects of the time change for several days. However, a few simple habits allow you to experience this transition better.
Gradually shift your bedtime
To prepare your body, try going to bed 10 to 15 minutes later each night, and getting up a little later if your schedule allows. This gradual adaptation helps your internal clock keep up with the new rhythm.
Adapt meal times
Your digestion also follows a biological clock. Gradually shift your meals and opt for light dinners. Also avoid alcohol in the evening: even if it sometimes makes it easier to fall asleep, it degrades the quality of sleep.
Go outside for at least 30 minutes a day
Natural light helps the body synchronize its sleep-wake rhythm. Even in gray weather, a walk of around thirty minutes, ideally in the morning or at midday, can facilitate adaptation and reduce the feeling of fatigue.
Maintain a regular sleep schedule
Despite fatigue, avoid taking multiple long naps or sleeping in. Try to get up and go to bed at similar times every day, including weekends. If you’re feeling sleepy, a few minutes of walking outside can help you temporarily regain energy.
Load up on light in the morning, reduce it in the evening
Expose yourself to daylight as soon as you wake up to help your body get going. In the evening, dim the lighting and move away from screens 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. Their light can disrupt the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep.
The main thing is to give your body a few days to get used to it. Good regularity, natural light and gradually adapted schedules can be enough to limit the inconvenience of the time change.
