The end of Daylight Savings is upon us again, and we are all starting to gear up for winter in the Northern Hemisphere, even in California’s Bay Area, which is not famous for cold, dark winters, to say the least.
Yet going on Daylight Savings in the spring, and coming off it in the fall does cause real disruption and even distress for some. An hour’s change from morning to evening doesn’t sound like much, but combined with other factors, like changes in the weather and overall amount of daylight, its effects can be significant.
Insomnia and sleep disruptions are the most common complaints around the seasonal time changes, but mood swings and mood disorder are also frequently encountered. Unipolar depression is frequently diagnosed around the change to or from daylight savings, and our bipolar patients may be at heightened risk for either depression or mania at these times.
If mood swings or sleep disruption are problems for you, we have the following tips:
- Take it seriously. Circadian rhythms are an important component of mental and physical health and an hour’s time change can have a real impact.
- Use this as an opportunity to check and recalibrate your circadian rhythms and daily routines. Routine is important, and at a time when you know there can be challenges to the routine, it’s a good time to take stock and get them back in place.
- Try not to “sleep an extra hour” in the morning. You KNOW it isn’t true, and fooling yourself doesn’t work. Consider rising at the same “sun time”, which is now one hour earlier than “clock time”. It could be the beginning of healthier sleep patterns all year round.
- Get outside, especially in the early morning. Early morning daylight helps you keep to your routines and fights depression.
Don’t be shy to seek help, if that’s what you need. You are not alone, or weirder than other people. Talk!
Happy Autumn to Everyone.