April 16, 2022
The clock winding back is just the start...
Did someone say an extra hour of sleep and a lovely, warm bed? Sounds pretty dreamy huh? Don’t say it too loud, but winding up summer feels almost tempting sometimes. The allure of cooler nights, a bit of bonus shut-eye…sure, the sun sets a little earlier, but when the clocks went back we all got more sleep…right?!
If you’ve found yourself feeling a little bleary-eyed heading into Autumn, despite the ‘extra’ magic hour of sleep we had (“wait it’s only 6am - no way!”), you’re not alone. It turns out that the elusive silver lining of daylight saving ending isn’t as simple as we thought! The colder season, mixed with the cheeky clocks changing on us, can make you start to feel a tad on the weary side.
We’ve put together our top five tips to help you to adjust as the months get cooler, and the days get shorter.
Quit the revenge procrastination
Also known as sleep procrastination, the concept of revenge hours is all about staying up just that little bit later, to make up for the time you missed in the morning, or the moments you set aside for that extra early work meeting. That next episode might be super tempting, as is that midweek cocktail after work, but… maybe cool it whilst the adjustment process kicks in.
Fulfill your sleep fantasy (and go to bed early)
We’ve all had moments of wishing we could hit the hay at 8:30pm and officially call it a day. In this fantasy land we’d fall into one of those deep dreamy sleeps and finally wake up refreshed in the morning, right? With the drop in temperatures and the darker hours creeping up earlier, this is a real chance for you to finally set some good sleep habits and establish optimal sleep times. Once the sun heads down there’s never been a better time to rug up, listen to Goodnight Kiwi, and get to bed early.
Mandatory wind down time
Does this scenario sound familiar? You wake up, check your emails on your phone and have a casual scroll before your feet hit the (chilly) floor. Next, you open your laptop - just to check your schedule for the day. Next you flick on the morning news, or ease into the day with your favourite YouTube channel or scroll through TikTok for some light-hearted entertainment. Cut to eight hours or so in front of yet another screen, some more screen time on the bus ride home, and… to wind down, a few episodes of your favourite Netflix show.
You see what we’re getting at here? All of that screen time kind of throws off our relationship with natural light. Which means that it’s harder for us to go to sleep, harder for us to wake up, and well… life can get pretty tough.
To mitigate all of the screen time hoo-ha we go through each day, set a cutoff time! Read a book for half an hour before bed, listen to some sweet tunes tunes (like the kind we recommend here) or engage in some light meditation. Your sleep schedule will thank you!
Pound that pavement and get a head start on that new exercise routine
If you’ve been looking for the perfect excuse to get outside and stir up some serious sweat, the start of Autumn is the perfect time to get physical (physical). Just like Olivia, you too can squeeze some exercise into your day, and the extra light in the morning is the perfect excuse to finally start. Better yet, going for a run, doing yoga or pilates, or heck, even some disc golf, is the perfect way to truly wake you up in the morning. By refreshing both your body and mind, you'll be set for a much better night's sleep!
Think of it like jetlag
Adjusting to the change of seasons, daylight saving, and the sun setting a little earlier, can be just like jetlag - a process. A process inhibited by things like the day-to-day, with things to do and people to meet. Unfortunately though, unlike jetlag, you’re not exactly in a foreign country and the workday is probably a lot less exciting than exploring a strange new city. But… it is a process, and the adjustment isn’t going to happen overnight but it will happen. Cut yourself some slack, go to bed a little earlier, wake up a little later, and create some flexibility in your sleep schedule to adjust to the difference.
A bonus pep talk
As we continue to try and squeeze more and more into our days, it becomes clearer than ever that we need to focus on our health and wellness first. No matter how you go about settling into the cooler months and the clocks winding back, this is a transition, and a chance to hit that big old “reset” button. Grab that warm cuppa, jump into bed, and wake up refreshed in the morning.
We all deserve a little (extra) shut-eye now and then. And time spent in bed (whatever you’re doing) is definitely not time wasted.
To make sure you’re getting your greatest sleep yet, make sure you’ve got the best possible bed to climb into. Head into your local BedsRus and meet with our trained specialists, who will recommend the best solution for your individual needs.