5 tips for a great night’s sleep after the clocks go back

24 October 2019 | 1 Minute Read - Words By Sally
A clock change shouldn’t mean your sleep suffers. Try our tips to conquer your body clock… As the world debates whether or not the clocks need to go back at all, you might prefer to just bury your head and get the perfect night’s sleep. Here we offer our top...

A clock change shouldn’t mean your sleep suffers. Try our tips to conquer your body clock…

As the world debates whether or not the clocks need to go back at all, you might prefer to just bury your head and get the perfect night’s sleep.

Clocks fall back

Here we offer our top tips for a blissful kip…

1. Get plenty of sun

It may sound like a strange piece of sleep advice, especially when daylight hours are dwindling, but exposing yourself to sunlight is the best way to adjust to the clock change. The more time you spend in the sun, the quicker your biological clock will reset itself.

Exercising outdoors during daylight hours will boost vitamin D levels and potentially your sleeping time. Studies have shown that exercise almost halves the time it takes to get to sleep.

2. Avoid blue light

Blue light comes in short waves and gives the sky it’s blue appearance. Laptops, tablets and smartphones emit blue light in large amounts, it’s no wonder that they trick our mind into thinking we’re experiencing daylight. When this happens, hormones like melatonin – which helps us relax – are reduced.

Many mobile phones have the option of a night mode that reduce blue light emissions, alternatively a range of apps are available that work in the same way. The best advice is to avoid bright lights two hours before bed.  

3. Keep things consistent

Studies have shown that sleeping and waking at the same time over an extended period improves our sleep quality. This applies across the weekends too – where you may be tempted to have a late night or a lie in – and even when the clocks change.

Sleeping at the same time before and after the clocks go back has more benefits than adjusting for a change, as our biological clocks are very good at adjusting to simple changes like losing or gaining an hour.

4. Take a relaxing bath

Take a relaxing bath

Many of us have felt the effects of a warm bath before bed, without considering the science behind it all. Our body temperature naturally fluctuates and is usually at its hottest in the afternoon, we need to cool it down before we’re able to sleep.

One of the best ways to trigger a drop in your body temperature, is to raise it. Try a warm bath two to three hours before going to sleep to increase your core temperature, which will cause your body to direct blood flow towards your skin and release heat. If you’re looking to ramp up the relaxation levels, add some lavender oil while you soak.

5. Invest in your bedroom

Invest in your bedroom

With sunlight creeping into our rooms almost an hour earlier overnight, it’s important to block sunlight entering your bedroom after a clock change – blackout curtains offer a great solution.

Noise-reducing curtains are also available to help block out the bangs and cancel the crashes, out to ruin your sleep. And don’t forget higher tog duvets to really wrap up warm. 

Your recently viewed items