Fall Back Gently: Sleeping Well After the Clocks Change

On Sunday, November 1, the clocks go back an hour. It sounds like a gift, an extra hour in bed, but for many of us the week that follows feels off. It gets dark before dinner, mornings feel heavy, and bedtime suddenly seems to arrive at the wrong moment.

Your body runs on an internal clock that takes its cues from light. When the clock on the wall jumps, your inner clock needs a few days to catch up. The good news: a few small habits make the shift much gentler.

Shift gradually

If you can, start a few days early. Move your bedtime and wake time by 15 minutes a day toward the new schedule. If the change has already happened, keep your wake-up time steady every day, weekends included. A consistent morning anchors everything else.

Get light in the morning, dim it at night

Morning light is the strongest signal your body has that the day has started. Step outside for 10 to 15 minutes soon after you wake, even on a grey day. In the evening, do the opposite: switch to lamps instead of overhead lights for the last hour before bed, and turn screens down or off.

Build a wind-down hour

Longer, darker evenings are a good excuse for a calmer routine. Try this for the last hour of your day:

• A warm shower or bath, which helps your body cool down afterwards, a natural cue for sleep

• A caffeine-free tea, like chamomile or a warm cup of spiced milk

• A few pages of a real book instead of a scroll

• Five minutes of slow breathing: in for 4, out for 6

Make your bedroom winter-ready

Keep it cool, dark and quiet. A slightly cool room, around the mid-60s Fahrenheit, suits most people. Blackout curtains help on bright mornings, and a warm blanket is better than turning up the heat.

Go easy on yourself this week

Expect a few slower mornings. Keep caffeine to the morning, take a short walk in daylight at lunch, and avoid long naps late in the day. Most people settle into the new rhythm within a week.

When you'd like help

If sleep has been difficult for a while, you don't have to figure it out alone. Kosha's practitioners in sleep coaching, meditation, breathwork and yoga can help you build a routine that works for your life, in person in Charlotte or online. See who can help with better sleep, or take the 2-minute wellness quiz at www.kosha.life.

This article is for general wellness and isn't medical advice. If you've had trouble sleeping for months, snore loudly, stop breathing in your sleep, or feel exhausted during the day, please talk to your doctor.