Sleep is integral in keeping your mind and body healthy and functioning at peak performance. Quality sleep allows your body to recover and rest, giving you the energy for the next day. However, not everyone gets good sleep. This is due to various reasons, including sleep disorders, stress, and health conditions. If you do not get quality sleep for an extended period, it may cause some far-reaching consequences.
Fortunately, Star Furniture is committed to helping you live better in your space, and that includes a great night’s sleep! We’ve compiled several methods for leveraging daylight saving time in order to sleep through the night, every night. Read on for tips on how to improve your sleep quality just in time for our ‘spring forward’.
What Is Daylight Saving Time?
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of advancing the clock by one hour to extend evening daylight and shorten morning sunshine. Many countries practice this, but not all. Countries and regions have different DST start and end dates. For example, the US observes DST from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. On the other hand, Europe observes DST from March to October.
DST is meant to maximize summer daylight. By setting the clock ahead an hour, individuals can spend more time outdoors or do other activities that require natural light in the evenings. A built-in benefit is that using less artificial lighting and heating over longer days saves energy!
Benefits of DST
While some people may struggle with adjusting to the time change, there are also many benefits to Daylight Saving Time. With more daylight in the evenings, you will have more opportunities for outdoor activities and exercise, which can help improve your overall health and well-being.
Additionally, studies have shown that exposure to natural light can help regulate your circadian rhythm, improve sleep quality, and increase levels of Vitamin D.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of DST
Now that you know the benefits of Daylight Saving Time, Star Furniture wants you to know how to make the most of it to enhance quality sleep.
Set the Stage
There is no question as to how important a good night of sleep is for our physical and mental health. However, with the arrival of Daylight Saving Time, your body may struggle to adjust to the new time. This can cause disruptions in our sleep patterns, leading to fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
But worry not. With some planning and effort, you can minimize the effects of Daylight Saving Time on your sleep quality.
1. Mind Your Mattress
One of the simplest ways to prepare for Daylight Saving Time is to give your mattress a little TLC. Start by giving it a good clean, removing any dust or allergens that may have accumulated over time. Next, you can flip or turn your mattress to even out wear and tear.
And if it has been a while since you have replaced your mattress, now might be a good time to consider investing in a new bed. Additionally, clean and store your seasonal sheets, like flannels, and shop for new warm-weather sheets and top-of-bed items for a seasonal refresh.
2. Shop for New Warm-Weather Sheets & Top-of-Bed
Speaking of sheets, a seasonal refresh of your bedding can make a big difference in your sleep quality. Look for light and breathable fabrics that will keep you cool and comfortable, and consider investing in blackout drapes or other lighting control solutions to help regulate your sleep environment.
Explore Meditation
During Daylight Saving Time, meditation can be a useful strategy for enhancing the quality of your sleep (DST). However, due to the time change, your sleep patterns may be disturbed, making it harder to get to or stay asleep.
Mindfulness meditation is a method that can be particularly beneficial during DST. Mindfulness entails paying close attention to the here and now while being completely conscious of thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations.
Before going to bed, let go of your concerns and daytime distractions by practicing mindfulness to get ready for a good night of sleep. This is particularly helpful while DST is in effect because the time shift may cause you to feel more agitated or anxious. Also, stress and worry, which are typical causes of insomnia, can be lessened through meditation. Meditation can help people sleep better and acclimatize to the time shift since it relaxes the body and mind.
Overall, meditation can help you get higher-quality sleep and acclimate to the changes brought on by Daylight Saving Time.
Use Sleep Apps
Sleep applications are an easy yet effective way to enhance sleep quality during DST. Sleeping habits can be tracked and analyzed by sleep applications, revealing information about the quantity and quality of sleep. You can also use sleep apps to modify your sleep schedules and enhance the quality of your sleep by tracking sleep patterns during DST. Numerous sleep apps also include tools like white noise, guided meditations, and relaxation exercises to improve sleep quality and aid in spring-forward synchronization.
The ability of sleep apps to track changes in sleep patterns over time is one of their main advantages during Daylight Savings Time. You can detect any disruptions or changes in your sleep patterns and make necessary adjustments by keeping track of your sleep quality before, during, and after the time change. For instance, a sleep app can assist a person in identifying patterns or triggers that may make it harder for them to fall asleep or stay asleep during Daylight Saving Time. With this knowledge, you can alter your sleeping environment, habits, or behaviors to enhance overall health.
Overall, sleep management during DST and improving overall sleep health can be accomplished with the help of sleep apps.
Focus on healthy habits
Finally, it’s essential to focus on healthy habits to improve your overall health and well-being, which can, in turn, improve your sleep quality. Some of the practices you should adopt include:
1. Limit alcohol
At first, alcohol may make you feel comfortable and drowsy. This is because it sedates the brain, making you sleepy. However, it can disturb sleep patterns, diminish deep sleep, and increase awakenings. Alcohol metabolism can disturb sleep cycles, waking people up more often. Moreover, it reduces REM sleep, which restores the brain and body. Even after a full night of sleep, this can leave people feeling exhausted.
Also, consuming alcohol causes throat muscles to relax, which may block the airway, causing snoring and sleep apnea (interrupted breathing during sleep). Such interruptions can cause poor sleep, daytime drowsiness, and other health difficulties. As you can see, limiting alcohol can improve sleep overall. It can improve sleep patterns, make you feel more rested and alert, and lower the risk of sleep-related health issues.
2. Plan More Outdoor Activities / Exercise as Days Lengthen
Another way to enhance sleep quality during Daylight Saving Time is to exercise and organize outdoor activities. Such activities improve sleep quality by elevating mood, lowering stress and anxiety, and enhancing physical health.
Exercise can also assist in regulating the circadian rhythm, which helps people go to sleep and stay asleep. Moreover, scheduling outdoor activities during the day can support nighttime sleep that is of higher quality. The bodys internal clock can be regulated by exposure to natural sunshine during the day, which makes adjusting to the time shift simpler. Being outside can also help you unwind and reduce tension, making it easier for them to sleep at night.
3. Reduce caffeine intake
During Daylight Saving Time, cutting back on coffee can significantly enhance the quality of your sleep (DST). Because it makes people more alert and delays sleep onset, caffeine, a stimulant, can interfere with sleep. Caffeine use can further disturb sleep patterns and lower sleep quality during DST when the body is already adjusting to a new sleep schedule.
Even tiny amounts of caffeine ingested in the afternoon or evening can impact sleep quality because it can persist in the body for several hours. Therefore, caffeine use should be minimal, especially in the evening, to encourage better sleep. This can be crucial during DST, when you could already be experiencing increased fatigue and irregular sleep habits.
It can be difficult to reduce caffeine consumption, especially for people who depend on it to get through the day. Caffeine substitutes, on the other hand, can keep you focused and alert without interfering with your sleep. You may do this by staying hydrated, maintaining a good diet, exercising frequently, and taking daily breaks to relax and recharge.
Overall, cutting back on caffeine can improve the quality of your sleep during DST. It will improve your sleep quality, make you feel more refreshed and alert during the day, and prevent the detrimental effects of caffeine on your general health and well-being by limiting your caffeine intake.
Get Better Sleep Just in Time for DST
While sleep comes to you naturally, it is not always high-quality. As such, you may get enough hours and still wake up tired. Fortunately, with a few deliberate steps, it is possible to improve your sleep quality significantly. Such steps include exercising, eating well, and reducing caffeine and alcohol intake.
At Star Furniture our business and passion is your home. We are here to help you live better in your space during DST and all year round. Shop with us at our stores in Houston, San Antonio and Austin to design a bedroom that facilitates a great night’s sleep.
If you liked this blog, read our article about mattress shopping tips for first time buyers.