The end of Daylight Saving Time can cause disruption in some people’s physical and mental health, but there are tips that can help with a smooth transition, experts from Memorial Health said this week.  Clocks “fall back” on Sunday, November 6th, and experts say that one of the toughest things about falling back is heading home in darkness after leaving work or after-school activities at a normal time.

Amber Olson, regional director for Memorial Behavioral Health clinical operations says that there are tips that can help ease the adjustments.  One of the biggest things you can do is find 20 minutes of sunshine to add to your daily schedule.  Breaks or spending time in your lunch hour walking outdoors can be a big way that you can soak up the sun.  

Pay attention to your eating habits. Changes in time, can also cause changes to our eating habits, and eating when your body doesn’t feel hungry, can lead to tendencies to eat more later at night. Experts encourage you to eat foods with fiber and protein including things such as an apple paired with low-fat cheese slices or natural peanut butter, whole eggs, fish-based meals, nuts, low-fat cottage cheese, chicken breasts, or light yogurt.  Avoid larger servings of pasta or other carb-heavy entrees later in the day. 

Experts also say that sleep is super crucial.  You are encouraged to start now to adjust your sleep schedule to the time change in increments of 15 or 20 minutes to acclimate your body to falling back an hour.  Short 20 to 30-minute naps can help, but avoid the temptation of sleeping for hours in the middle of the day, as that can throw off your whole routine.

For more tips on handling Daylight Saving Time, click here.