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Early Sunday morning marks daylight saving time – or when clocks will turn back one hour and Americans will “fall back” and gain an extra hour of sleep.
This shift aims to “better align human activity with natural daylight,” but it often comes with jarring effects, like shifts in sleep timing, eating habits, difficulty concentrating or sadness.
The time change can also lead to seasonal affective disorder, said Lynn Morgan, a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker.
“It’s very common during the fall and winter seasons, especially on the East Coast, because of less sunshine, less natural light and colder weather,” Morgan said. “Usually, it’s cold, wet, dark, and damp, so it does make you feel like gloom and doom.”
For some people, Morgan said medication or therapy may be necessary for change.
But the good news? There are other personal changes you can try to make this transition easier and help your body readjust during daylight saving time. Here is what Morgan shared.
Morgan said that when it comes to using lights in the home, “the brighter, the better.”
“Turn all your bright lights on,” she said. “We no longer need to cut all the lights off. Turn them on, all of them.”
She explained that these changes can help improve mood and reduce grogginess that may come from different levels of daylight.
Morgan explained that sun lamps are also helpful.
“They’re either the ones that you can sit on your desk or your tabletop,” she said. “There are sun lamps that come with a stand, and you can put it right next to your favorite chair. With the sun lamps, the therapy usually goes for 20 to 30 minutes per day, and you can start even now before it starts getting dark earlier.”
Research shows that light therapy is often a good method to regulate melatonin, which helps the body manage the sleep-wake cycle, and create serotonin, which also helps regulate mood.
Morgan said another important part of the adjustment is mimicking the heat the sun may provide.
“Make sure you’re turning your heat up, or however you make sure that you’re nice, warm, and cozy, so that you can feel like you’re getting the sun that you need,” Morgan said.
She said things like a cozy blanket and hot chocolate can help boost your mood while keeping warm.
Keeping the temperature up can also help with motivation and getting up in the morning.
“If your room is usually cold, then you want to turn your little space heater on or whatever it is to warm up your room before you get up, so it encourages you to get up, helping with stress,” Morgan said.
Morgan said maintaining a routine, especially around sleep, helps the body adjust to daylight saving time quicker.
“(It’s important that) we maintain a regular sleep and wake cycle,” she said. “We should start (these practices) early and be as consistent as we possibly can.”
Ahead of daylight saving time, The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests getting plenty of sleep ahead of the weekend before the clocks change, and trying to go to bed about 15-20 minutes earlier ahead of the time change.
Morgan said that combining a good amount of sleep with other daylight saving time methods can also be helpful.
“It’s recommended that you try to get six to eight hours of sleep,” she said. “One of the things that can help you, especially during this season, is putting your lamp on a timer, so that when your alarms go off, the lights are already on, so you’re not waking up in the dark.”
She said that working out is another pillar of keeping your mental and physical health in check.
“Do some exercising, whether it’s yoga, jumping jacks, running across the backyard or dancing in the living room with just your socks on,” Morgan said.
Studies show that all kinds of exercise, whether socializing indoors at the gym, doing tai chi or yoga on your own or running outside, can positively impact mood and boost positive neurotransmitter levels, like serotonin and dopamine.
Morgan said it’s important to stay safe while engaging in outdoor activities during the darker months. But, she said there are plenty of ways to get some Vitamin D while taking this into account.
“I strongly urge you to get outside as much as you possibly can,” she said. “If you work inside for whatever kind of job you have during your lunch break, go outside, whether it’s to take a walk or to sit in your car. Make sure that you’re able to see the sun and get some fresh air. It changes your circadian rhythm when you go outside and you’re enjoying the fresh air of it all.”
Even outside of daylight saving time, research shows that getting outdoors can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression and help to lower stress and relieve other issues. One study suggests that even 10 minutes outdoors can generate positive effects.
“Some of us are able to do better (during daylight saving time) by just making personal changes like going outside more often, and doing things differently inside the house,” Morgan said.
There aren’t many studies that directly link screen time to SAD, but, cutting screen time in general can be shown to make people happier.
When people spend less time on their phones, studies show that sleep quality can improve, stress can drop and anxiety and depression symptoms can improve.
Morgan said that most people can benefit from being on their phones or technology less during the winter months, as it generally increases well-being.
But, she said that screen time recommendations are often better when personalized.
“We, the medical side of life, can make recommendations on what the general population may look like, but the truth of the matter is, you are unique in your situation, and you get to figure out what’s good for you,” Morgan said.
Morgan emphasized that sometimes, seasonal depression and seasonal affective disorder can trigger or be indicative of a deeper problem. She said although it can be hard to diagnose this with a “one size fits all” approach, it’s important to take note of your emotions during this time.
“One of the things that you can do is check your mood,” Morgan said. “You should take note if during this time of year you find yourself less enthusiastic, less interested in going out, or for lack of a better term, sad or sadder than usual.”
She emphasized that seasonal affective disorder itself is not a “critical diagnosis.”
“It’s nothing for you to really panic about, and it helps to have someone to talk to if you would like,” Morgan said.
She said that this may “throw people off” for a few weeks or months, but it ultimately gets better with certain practices and a diagnosis if needed.
Beyond Morgan’s recommendations, studies show that there are other best practices to help with seasonal depression, SAD and winter blues.
This may include getting social and maintaining fun plans, eating healthy and balanced meals and staying away from alcohol and other drugs.
Morgan said she encourages those struggling to hang on throughout this difficult season.
“Seasonal affective disorder will throw us off for a season, for several months or however long it takes you,” she said. “It’s different for everyone, but it’s OK. You will get through this.”
The post The clocks are turning back Sunday! Here is how you can avoid the seasonal blues appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY.
