Expert sleep advice - How to manage the clocks changing
It’s almost time for the clocks to go forward. Are you one of the lucky people who bounce out of bed afterwards, unaffected by the hour’s time difference? Or do you drag yourself up at a time that feels strange, spend the day in a daze, then go to bed at the wrong time for your body and mind, maybe for days or even weeks?
If it’s the latter, Spring probably loses some of its shine thanks to feeling so out of sorts, so jetlagged and fuzzy. Thankfully there’s help at hand. If you dread the clocks going forward, here are some expert tips for coping with getting up an hour later.
Tips to manage the clocks going forwards
You’ll be going to bed an hour earlier, not tired enough to sleep, then getting up an hour earlier than usual feeling you need an extra hour in bed. Try these tips to ease yourself into the Spring kindly, instead of with a bump.
Tea and coffee are full of caffeine, which comes with the kind of raw buzz that makes dropping off difficult at the best of times. Go caffeine-free the day after the clocks change and you’ll feel more tired and less wired than usual.
Get out in the fresh air. Even if there’s no sun it’ll help keep your internal clock strong and healthy. It’s also good to do more exercise than usual to tire yourself out, and do it outdoors. Make sure to exercise way before bedtime, not just before you get into bed. Lavender drops on your pillow or a real Silk Lavender Eye Pillow help ease you into sleep.
Go to bed quarter of an hour earlier for four days, rather than an entire hour earlier all at once. And use a herbal remedy like Valerian to help you drop off. It comes in teabags, pills and capsules that you take about three quarters of an hour before bed.
How about changing your inner language? If you find your inner voice ranting about how tired you are, how you hate this time of year, how it takes forever to get used to the change, think again. Start up a positive inner dialogue and you’ll be surprised how much better you feel, and how quickly it works.
The latest advice on jetlag says you should do the things you would usually do according to the new time zone you’re in. Bearing that in mind, while you might not feel like breakfast an hour earlier than you’re used to, eating at the new ‘right’ time can help your body get into the new routine faster.
Probiotics can aid sleep, but there’s no need to buy special products containing ‘good bacteria’. Ordinary yoghurt contains the bacteria you need. And a long bath with lavender bath oil can help soothe you into a sleepy state earlier than usual.
If you already have a sleep ritual to help you get into the right state of mind and body for slumber, keep it up. If not, creating a relaxing bedtime routine will support you through the British Summertime transition and beyond, signalling to your body and mind it’s time to prepare for a truly wonderful sleep. Our fabulous luxury sleep products will help you create a routine that’s as beautiful as it is effective.
