Although much of Australia experiences daylight saving time changes twice a year, many people find it difficult to adapt, according to Professor Greg Murray of Swinburne University of Technology.
A researcher with the university’s Department of Psychological Sciences, Professor Murray has spent many years researching the circadian system – including how people’s 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.
“You can think of it as ‘Lifestyle Shifting’. We shift our lifestyle relative to the sun. We get up earlier and we’re meant to go to bed earlier – it’s an adjustment,” he said.
According to Professor Murray, it’s possible the increased lifestyle flexibility of working from home during lockdown will smooth the transition again this year – “fewer people will actually lose that hour of sleep, which is one of the problems of daylight saving time”.
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 – 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
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
