Groggy Because of Daylight Saving Time? Try This
Quick tips to help you weather the time change.
I think I can safely say that most people hate Daylight Saving Time.
Not the extra hours of daylight during the summer months, mind you, but the time change. I generally wake up feeling tired, on edge, and just a bit frazzled.
If you’re really feeling it today, you’re not alone. Research from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that nearly 55% of Americans experience tiredness after the Daylight Saving Time change.
However, Daylight Saving Time doesn’t just cause a bit of grogginess and inconvenience — additional studies have found that it can actually be damaging to our health.
For example, Daylight Saving Time (DST) is associated with a higher risk of cognitive or mental health issues. For the week following the time change, studies show that there’s a corresponding increase in cardiovascular disease, stroke, and injuries — including fatal car accidents.
While getting rid of the DST time change has popular support and bipartisan backing, it isn’t clear when we’ll be on “permanent daylight time.” In the meantime, it’s likely that you’re feeling the effects of the time change. I know I am.
Sleep is incredibly important to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Any disturbances to our sleep can cause a myriad of issues in our bodily and cognitive health.
Despite what hustle-and-grind culture might tell you, sleep is one of the most important keys to a healthy — and productive — lifestyle.
As English dramatist and poet Thomas Dekker is said to have mused: “Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.”
Practice:
If you’re really feeling groggy today, here is an energizing breathwork practice that could help you. It’s called Breath of Fire, and it can help bring additional oxygen to your brain, which can wake you up and help you feel more alert.
Find a comfortable seat. Perhaps close your body.
Inhale slowly through your nose, and then exhale slowly.
Now, open your mouth and quickly forcefully exhale the breath through your mouth.
Inhale through your mouth and repeat. Find the rhythm of short inhales and exhales — it should sound almost like a dog panting.
Continue for a few minutes, and then switch to the same “panting” breath rhythm, but through the nose and with the mouth closed.
Repeat this rhythm continuously for several minutes.
Additionally, here are a few tips to help get you through the next week.
Get some sunlight. As mentioned, our circadian rhythm can get messed up by the time change. Since it relies on natural light and darkness, getting some sunlight first thing in the morning can help your body adapt. Go for a short walk first thing in the morning, or stand in front of a bright window.
Drink a full glass of water first thing in the morning. This can help rehydrate your body, improve mental performance, and give your body a bit of a boost when you first wake up.
Take naps (or do Yoga Nidra). If you’re especially tired after the DST time change, it’s perfeclty OK to take a nap. Just try to make sure it’s about 20 to 30 minutes — napping any longer can make you even more groggy. To that end, trying a Yoga Nidra, or yogic sleep, practice could help you find a bit of rest during your day.
Journal:
Here are some journal prompts for this week.
How do I feel this morning? Am I tired or fatigued?
Do I prioritize my sleep in my day-to-day life?
How does the DST time change make me feel?
What I’m reading:
Want to read more? Here are a few articles I liked this week:
The Dark Side of Daylight Saving Time - Harvard Health
What Happens When a Runner Does Power Yoga Every Day? - Yoga Journal
All Ecology Is Queer - Orion Magazine
Musician Katie Tupper on Finding Inspiration in Your Every Day - Grist
My favorite things this week
My current book: I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine by Daniel J. Levitin
What I’m jamming to: My Moon My Man - Feist
Quote of the week: “Even a soul submerged in sleep is hard at work and helps make something of the world.” - Heraclitus.
This week’s intention: I am restful.
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links for BookShop.org, so I may receive a small commission if you purchase something.