All organisms evolved on a rotating earth, therefore almost every organism on earth has an internal clock that has adjusted to when it is light outside, and when it is dark also known as the light-dark cycle of day and night.

Humans fall under the category of being diurnal, meaning that we are most active during the day and rest during the evening. When we go to bed and after we have been asleep for x number of hours without having an alarm set for the next morning, our “internal clock” wakes us up and lets us know “hey it’s morning, time to wake up!” and almost every organ in our body has this same kind of internal clock and knows when to be most active, and when it is time to rest and recover. This internal clock is your circadian rhythm. When daylight savings begins or ends, we need to essentially re-sync this internal clock.

Here are a few tips:

1. Start the day earlier. There is evidence to show that morning light has major benefits on mood. It has also been shown that 15-20 minutes of early morning daylight may be enough to reset your internal clock. Sleeping in will only make you feel more tired, this applies to weekends too.


2. Avoid bright lights in the evenings. When there is less light, i.e after sunset, your brain produces a hormone called Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone secreted from the pineal gland that helps to make us feel sleepy when our environment becomes dark. If you are up late with the lights on, watching tv or on your computer, the release of this hormone can be delayed.


3. Eat your meals earlier. When it gets dark, your enzyme activity and digestive system slow down and prepare for bed time. In the presence of melatonin (the sleep hormone), the pancreas gets the signal that it’s off duty. Insulin is produced by the pancreas, so essentially, as it starts to get darker earlier you will need to eat your dinner earlier.