I’ve never been a huge fan of Daylight Savings Time ending. The dark of night comes way too early and my sleep cycle can get out of wack.

Sometimes it is a rough transition.

I don’t know about you, but when my precious sleep is messed with, the gloves come off.

Here are some great ways to help your body gracefully transition into this new season of hibernation and restoration.

the most amazing breakfast ever

ONE: Eat Earlier

Remember, your body doesn’t know that you’ve gained an hour. For all it knows you’re staying up till 12:00am not 11:00pm.

So when you’re eating this week, remember that eating too late can cause your digestive cycle to get out of balance. Even without the time change I recommend eating no later than 6:00pm or 7:00pm. But with the time change, if you’re eating at 7:00pm, your tummy still thinks it’s 8:00pm.

That’s too late.

If you ever struggle with digestive issues like constipation or a heaviness in your gut, then giving your system a break during the time change is even more important for you!

A rule of thumb I always teach my clients is to eat no more than 3 hours after you wake up. Ideally, you want to eat about 30 minutes after you wake up. If you’re not hungry (which I hear from a lot my clients) it could be because you’re eating too late and not giving your body enough time to really digest all the food.

Then by the time you wake up, you’ve still not fully digested all that food and don’t feel immediately hungry.

This week treat yourself to a nice big breakfast of super-food oatmeal or farm raised eggs with toast. Then when it’s time for lunch, make that your biggest meal of the day.

If you can, make it your last meal and let your digestive system do a little re-set. You will be amazed at 1.) how well you sleep without food in your belly and 2.) how incredible your elimination can be in the morning!

 

my dream sleep station | image via Est Magazine

TWO: Rest

Give yourself permission to rest!

This is important. Winter is coming. Your body naturally wants to rest and store up energy and warmth for the change that’s ahead.

Give your body what it is craving. Sleep.

We underestimate the power of sleep and rest in the U.S. When we’re run down and not getting enough sleep, we crave energy and mistake that craving for energy as a craving for sugar, carbs or caffeine. That’s our body’s way of reaching out for more support. If you feel tired and groggy, you are. The fix is not the solution. The solution is rest.

So, get some rest and help defend your body against cravings. You deserve it and I give you permission to do nothing at all but rest at least twice this week.

The other amazing thing about getting enough sleep is that it helps with just about everything! You will boost your immune system, fight depression and weight gain by getting quality sleep. And guess what!?

The time of night you go to bed actually matters.

I hate to break it to you, but the number of hours you sleep is less important then the time you actually go to bed. Try getting into bed by 9:00pm this week. Because it will actually be 10:00pm. Your body will thank you!

And if you’ve always wanted to develop the habit of getting up earlier, this is the perfect occasion to make the switch!

THREE: Supplement

Shorter days means less daylight which means less Vitamin D.

And I cannot stress this enough. Vitamin D is one of the most important hormones your body needs all year round but especially during this time of year. Even in the south, people are recommended to get their levels checked.

What you’ll find is that most Americans are severely lacking in this nutrient. I take a Vitamin D supplement everyday. So get your levels checked ASAP. And if you need to supplement, I recommend starting with 4,000 – 5,ooo I.U. a day.

Among many other benefits, D is incredible at enhancing our mood. For me, the grey skies and dreary, damp days are not exactly joyous. So I need that fortification to feel balanced and in a good mood!

 

What about you? What are tips for dealing with the time change? I’d love to hear from you. Do you like the time change or is it a big suck fest for you like it is for me?

PS – I’m accepting clients for the winter season. Would you like to have a health expert walk you through being healthy this season? Reach out to me now to schedule your free consultation.