As the year flies by and we come to the official end to summer it's time to rethink our sleep patterns.
This Sunday our clocks go back an hour, giving us an extra hour to snuggle up in bed.
That said we will have a little more light in the morning initially but on the run up to Christmas the evenings will get darker. Sadly for those who suffer with the winter blues (SAD), these longer evenings can be hard going.
For those who work inside it can feel worse and cause lethargy in the mornings as lack of natural daylight disturbs our sleep hormones and affects our energy levels.
So here’s some top tips to work on from next week:
Don’t hit the snooze button – you’ve heard it before from us but our bodies really do need routine 7 days a week. Same time to bed, same time to wake.
Leave a gap in the curtains to allow a trickle of natural daylight in and when it gets really dark in the morning try a light box. There are plenty on the market and there is growing evidence they help our sleep patterns
Take regular breaks outside throughout the day - the minimum we should be 30 mins but try for an hour.
No electronics in the bedroom - we can’t stress this enough
Wrap yourself up in an aired bedroom and good bedding - ultimately a good nights sleep will reduce the effects of the downturn in natural daylight.