Clocks Spring Ahead for Daylight Savings Time, Make Sure Your Body Adjusts

Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, 2:00 A.M to be exact. Which means we lose an hour of sleep Saturday night and dragging yourself out of bed for work on Monday is going to be terrible.

Scientists analyzed 10 years of data from hospitals in Finland, and found that there's an 8% jump in strokes in the week after we switch to Daylight Saving Time. It has to do with the way the time change messes with your body's internal clock.

When it gets thrown off, your body can have some serious negative responses, especially if you're over 65, or your health is already kind of shaky.

Here are some ways that you can help your body adjust to the time change:

1. Cut out caffeine. Make sure you don't have any caffeine at least six hours before bed. It's a good rule of thumb in general, but especially important this weekend.
2. No alcohol. Even just one drink can disturb your sleep.
3. Eat light. Don't eat anything for at least two or three hours before you plan to go to bed. Otherwise it can interfere with the quality of your sleep.
4. Make your bed a place you want to sleep in. Meaning, fresh clean sheets and no phones or iPads.
5. Go to bed earlier. To minimize the impact of the time change, make a few gradual adjustments rather than one big one.

   Go to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier than usual tonight and again tomorrow, then you should be fully adjusted by Monday.

Get more tips from The Better Sleep Council.