If you feel like you have been in a bad mood since the time change, it may be because your body has not adjusted its sleep schedule.
Local Sleep Expert Monyca Champion said it is common for people to feel more tired and grumpy after the time change. Champion said the body’s circadian rhythm, which regulates alertness and sleepiness, gets thrown off when we fall back. Champion said once the rhythm is off, humans are not able to reach the late stages of sleep.
“If something happens and we are not getting our regular sleep, it affects those latter stages of sleep where emotional regulation happens, and that is what makes us grumpy,” Champion said.
Champion said a consistent sleep routine can solve the problem in a week.
“You should keep a regular sleep and wake time even on the weekends, and for your off-days,” Champion said. “And when you wake up in the morning, get some sunlight. Sunlight is the thing that resets that circadian rhythm. It’s the thing that tells our bodies it’s time for us to release the wakeful hormones.”
Champion said there are special lamps made to provide a similar type of light to sunlight for those who work night shifts. Champion said people should avoid consuming caffeine eight to ten hours before going to sleep, as it is a stimulant and interferes with the release of melatonin. Though some may think a nap will do the trick, Champion said to avoid long naps.
“That makes it even more difficult in the evenings to have enough sleep pressure built up to sleep well,” Chapion said. “So if you do feel like you need that nap, keep it 15-20 minutes and make sure it happens earlier in the afternoon. If it is too close to bedtime, it’s gonna interfere with you being able to get to bed before you want to get to bed.”
Champion said you should be targeting about seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Champion said if you are still struggling even after establishing a routine, then you may need to see a sleep expert.