How to Prepare for the Clocks Going Back

As the UK prepares to turn the clocks back by one hour at 2am this Sunday (26th October), sleep expert Dr Lindsay Browning shares her expert advice on how the change can impact sleep and what you can do to make the transition smoother.

While the change means an extra hour in bed, the shift in daylight can temporarily disrupt your body’s internal clock, known as your circadian rhythm. This can leave some people struggling to fall asleep at their usual bedtime or waking earlier than intended.

Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist and sleep expert for And So To Bed, says: “If you can, in the days leading up to the clocks going back, gradually shift your bedtime and waketime later each day. By Saturday night, you should aim to be going to bed an hour later than normal, and then, when the clocks change overnight, your usual wake time will feel natural. This pre-planning helps your body adapt more gradually, rather than one large change at once, which is less disruptive to sleep and energy levels.

“If you don’t alter your regular bedtime and wake time before the clocks change, you may find that you wake up too early on Sunday morning and find yourself tossing and turning in bed until the alarm goes off. This can leave you feeling tired during the day, as though you didn’t have a good night’s sleep.

“To help combat this, and to help you get going in the morning, start the day by opening your curtains as soon as you wake up to let in the light, or even better, go outside first thing. Also, make sure to leave the house for a mid-morning/lunchtime walk to boost natural light exposure. Exposure to natural light in the morning can help you feel more awake and energised by suppressing any remaining melatonin production earlier and helps anchor your body clock to the new time.

“As your circadian rhythm is not only influenced by light, but also by things like mealtimes and physical activity, you could also try moving your breakfast, lunch and dinner a little later each day before the change. Regular mealtimes act as an additional cue for your internal body clock, which helps to reinforce the new time and also helps to avoid you feeling hungry later in the evening.”

To help your body adjust to the change, Dr Browning recommends focusing on small, simple habits to improve your sleep hygiene:

1. Have a regular bedtime and wake time throughout the week

When you keep a regular sleep schedule, your body develops a robust circadian rhythm that helps you to sleep at the right time at night. If you wake up and go to bed early but stay up late and have a lie-in on the weekend, you are giving yourself weekend ‘jetlag’, making it much harder to go to sleep early on a Sunday night ready for Monday morning.

2. Use your bed for sleep (and sex) only

Using your bed to do work in or to watch TV means that your brain can start to associate it with wakefulness. By keeping the bed as a place for sleep, your brain maintains a strong link between your bed and sleep, making it easier to fall asleep when you want to.

Also, making sure your bedroom is a tidy, peaceful and calming environment for you to escape to at night is essential for a good night’s sleep. It ensures your brain and body associate this room with rest and relaxation.

3. Stop your caffeine intake at 2pm

Caffeine has an average half-life of around six hours, meaning it is still in your system well after you’ve had a cup of coffee. If you consume caffeine late in the day and have trouble sleeping, try to have your last cup around 2pm. Remember, caffeine isn’t only found in tea and coffee, but also in chocolate and soft drinks, including the sugar-free varieties.   

4. Increase your exercise levels

Regular exercise is linked to better quality sleep, with fewer awakenings during the night. However, try to avoid vigorous exercise too close to bedtime, as exercising within 90 minutes of sleep can sometimes disrupt sleep due to the stimulating effects of endorphins and adrenaline, as well as increased body temperature.

5. Have a wind-down time before bed

Trying to sleep immediately after doing something stressful or overstimulating can mean that your mind is too active to allow you to fall asleep. Instead, spend around 30 minutes before bed doing something calming and relaxing.

Having a warm bath before bed helps you to wind down, while the bath’s temperature makes you feel sleepier. This is because you artificially raise your body temperature when you’re in the bath and encourage it to naturally start to drop when you come out, mimicking the process that happens as you fall asleep.

6. Don’t stay in bed if you can’t sleep

If you’re unable to sleep, lying in bed trying to sleep is one of the worst things you can do. The longer you lie in bed, the more anxious you are likely to get about not being able to sleep. Instead, get up and do something pleasant and engaging for at least 20 minutes before going back to bed when you feel sleepy.