Spring is finally here, yay!!! We have to move our clocks ahead an hour, booooo!!!
Every year the feelings never change. We get excited for warm weather and no more training in the snow but that first day/week after the time change dampens the excitement as it usually means feeling more tired. There’s never a good time to feel that way, especially for athletes in preseason or mid-season really needing to perform their best.
It doesn’t have to be that way as there are a few strategies that can help make the time change a bit easier and keep you feeling rested and ready to perform that first day/week and for the rest of the year;
– Get adequate sleep the days before: For the days leading up to the time change make sure you continue to get adequate sleep. You don’t want to go into daylight savings already sleep deprived. Staying well rested in advance will give you a little wiggle room for any challenges during the transition.
– Avoid afternoon/evening caffeine: Caffeine should be avoided within 6 hours of when you plan to go to bed. This is how long it takes for caffeine to start working its way out of your body. If you are consuming caffeine later in the day you are overstimulating the body and decreasing its melatonin production which is a key hormone to help you sleep. Less melatonin means increased difficulty falling asleep and decreased quality of sleep. (1)
– Drink some tart cherry juice: Having tart cherry juice around bed time will not only help you recover by reducing inflammation but it help you sleep by increasing your body’s melatonin levels. (2)
– Add kiwis to your diet: Kiwis contain a high level of serotonin. Like melatonin, serotonin is a main component that aids your ability to fall asleep and improves quality of sleep. You’re likely more familiar with tryptophan (high in turkey which gets mentioned every Thanksgiving) which when consumed gets converted into serotonin in the body to produce that sleepy feeling. In addition to serotonin, kiwis are also high in folate which a deficiency of can cause difficulty sleeping. (3)
– Consider a magnesium supplement: Disclaimer: food should always be first! But if not consuming magnesium rich foods, which many aren’t (eg. dark leafy greens, dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, avocados, bananas), you may want to think about investing in a quality 3rd party tested magnesium supplement. Magnesium plays a roll in many body functions but in regards to sleep it can help your nervous system calm down to allow you to get to sleep better. (4)
– Take a warm bath/shower before bed: An easy way to help relax the body and help you fall asleep quick and decrease how often you wake up at night is to take a warm bath/shower about 1-2 hours before going to bed. (5)
– Keep clocks away from your bed: Nothing is more frustrating than trying to fall asleep and continuously looking at the clock on your dresser to see how long it’s taking you. This added stress of trying to force yourself to sleep amidst building frustration only makes it more difficult to fall asleep. Eliminate this issue by keeping all clocks out of your line of sight.
– Keep phones on silent: The last thing you want is to have your phone buzz and light up while trying to sleep. If it goes off you will inevitably want to grab it and see what the alert was. This exposes your eyes to bright light and blue light which will make it difficult to fall back asleep.
– GO TO BED!!!: None of these strategies will help if you’re staying up until 2am watching TV or playing video games. These all build upon the main goal of giving your body the opportunity to reap the benefits of sleep by giving yourself 8-10 hours every night in bed to do so.
If you work to incorporate some or all of these strategies into your sleep routine you will be waking up feeling more rested and transition to the new time quicker. These strategies can also be helpful for more than just during the daylight savings time transition. Doing these things all year long will provide you benefits all season to help you perform better, recover better and decrease your odds of getting injured. All of those benefits from simply turning off the lights and closing your eyes. Why is it that sometimes the simplest concepts are the hardest to do?
Happy sleeping and here’s to a great spring and summer!
1. Nédélec M, Halson S, Abaidia AE, Ahmaidi S, Dupont G. Stress, Sleep and Recovery in Elite Soccer: A Critical Review of the Literature. Sports Med. 2015 Oct;45(10):1387-400.
2. Howatson G, Bell PG, Tallent J, Middleton B, McHugh MP, Ellis J. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr. 2012 Dec;51(8):909-16.
3. Lin, H.H.; Tsai, P.S.; Fang, S.C.; Liu, J.F. Effect of kiwifruit consumption on sleep quality in adults with sleep problems. Asia Pac. J. Clin. Nutr. 2011, 20, 169–174.
4. Peukhuri, K.; Sihvola, N.; Korpela, R. Diet promotes sleep duration and quality. Nutr. Res. 2012, 32, 309–319.
5. Haghayegh S, Khoshnevis S, Smolensky MH, Diller KR, Castriotta RJ. Before-bedtime passive body heating by warm shower or bath to improve sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2019 Aug;46:124-135.