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How To Recover From The Clocks Going Back This Weekend

Kimberley Bond

Published 
| Last updated 

How To Recover From The Clocks Going Back This Weekend

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash

Something scary is happening this weekend – and it’s not Halloween.

Yep, while spooky season is in full swing over Saturday and Sunday night, we have more to worry about than the witching hour – the change in times.

British Summer Time is officially over, as the clocks will go back to Greenwich Mean Time, meaning we gain an extra hour in bed.

But as much as we love a cheeky, guilt-free lie-in, having the clocks go back can mess up our body clocks (not to mention we now have to put up with longer, darker nights!).

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We get an extra hour's worth of kip (Credit: Unsplash)
We get an extra hour's worth of kip (Credit: Unsplash)

Loughborough University sleep expert, Professor Kevin Morgan, explains how changing the clocks in autumn and spring affects our circadian (body clock) rhythm which can impact our wellbeing.

“Clock times (from BST to GMT) change instantly; BODY clocks take longer to catch up,” he explained.

Professor Morgan describes this discrepancies between the actual time and what time our body thinks it is as a “social jetlag”, meaning our bodies may feel tired, hungry or wide-awake when we really shouldnt be.

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The clocks changing could leave you knackered (Credit: Unsplash)
The clocks changing could leave you knackered (Credit: Unsplash)

Well, if you’re worried about being knocked out of sync, fear not; we have collated a list of ways to try and help you get to sleep, courtesy of LoveHemp.

According to Dr Jess Andrade, keeping your feet warm when you’re in bed will help regulate your body. We recommend wearing a pair of socks to keep your tootsies toasty.

“Wearing socks keeps your feet warm and this opens up blood vessels that cools the body down,” she explains on TikTok.

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“The body being cold tells the brain that it’s time for bed, so actually, people that wear socks tend to fall asleep faster.

Cutting out (or at least cutting down) time on your laptop or phone before bed will also help regulate your sleep patterns.

Something as simple as wearing socks to bed could really help (Credit: Unsplash)
Something as simple as wearing socks to bed could really help (Credit: Unsplash)

“Bright lights from your TV, phone or laptop can disrupt the body’s production of melatonin (the hormone that helps you sleep), making it harder to regulate your sleep cycle,” Dr Andrade explains. “This will make you more tired during the day.”

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If you’re finding yourself waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to get back to sleep TikTok’s ‘The Sleep Doctor’ (Dr Michael Bruce) recommends a very simple breathing technique.

Titled to 4-7-8 technique, you breathe in for a count of four, hold it for a count of seven, and then breathe out for a count of eight.

What this does is pull all the carbon dioxide out of your lungs and brings in fresh oxygen, which means your heart doesn’t have to work so hard and will drop. 

Sweet dreams, everyone...

Topics: Health, News

Kimberley Bond
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