Although much of Australia experiences daylight saving time changes twice a year, many people find it difficult to adapt, according to Professor Greg Murrayย of Swinburne University of Technology.
A researcher with the universityโs Department of Psychological Sciences, Professor Murray has spent many years researching the circadian system โ including how peopleโs bodies adapt to daylight saving time, which starts on Sunday 3 October 2am when clocks move forward one hour to 3am.
Professor Murray said having difficulty adapting to the time change is perfectly normal.
โYou can think of it as โLifestyle Shiftingโ. We shift our lifestyle relative to the sun. We get up earlier and weโre meant to go to bed earlier โ itโs an adjustment,โ he said.
According to Professor Murray, itโs possible the increased lifestyle flexibility of working from home during lockdown will smooth the transition again this year โ โfewer people will actually lose that hour of sleep, which is one of the problems of daylight saving timeโ.
He offered the following advice for dealing with the daylight saving time change:
Begin your transition in the days before the one-hour change
- Progressively delay clocks by 15 minutes
- Avoid drinking coffee after midday
- Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening
Plan for being tired for the days after the change
- Plan your work/learning โ avoid rushing
- If sleep deprivation leaves you irritable, be cautious with friends, workmates and significant others
Adjust your body clock
- We can help our body clock synchronise with the new clock time by getting light exposure early in the day, and avoiding bright light in the evening
ย Take advantage of increased daylight hours
- More daylight in the evenings is an opportunity to increase exercise and socialising (if you can), two of the main drivers of wellbeing
