Only a few days left until the time change…
Like every year in autumn, we change the time and stick to winter time. A measure introduced to reduce lighting requirements and save energy. On the night of Saturday October 26 to Sunday October 27, 2024, we will “gain” one more hour of sleep since at 3 a.m. it will be 2 a.m. On the other hand, it will get dark earlier. “And as we perceive the night earlier, our melatonin (the sleep hormone) will be secreted earlier, as a result, we will want to sleep earlier in the evening and we will tend to be more tired/sleepy during the night. daytime”, tells us Dr Catherine Lamblin, sleep doctor, who we interviewed about the time change.
Even if we only move by an hour, our body, our hormones and our biological clock can be disrupted. “And even if we sleep “an hour more” during one night, the transition to standard time can be difficult on subsequent days since they are shorter and we see less natural daylight.”1 hour doesn’t seem like much, but some of us are particularly sensitive to changes in our biological rhythm. The solution to adapt smoothly? Try to anticipate the time change by gradually shifting key moments of the day such as meals, bedtime… starting now“, she insists. This allows you to immediately adopt a rhythm of life corresponding to the new time.
Concretely, a few days before the time change, we delay dinner time by around twenty minutes as well as bedtime and possibly getting up time.even if it is not always easy with professional or family constraints“We go to bed slightly later than usual (10:20 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. for example) in order to gradually shift and adapt to the new day/night cycle.”The key message is not to arrive at the time change with a sleep deficit or too irregular sleep hours. To adapt well to the new time, the body must not be deprived of sleep“, recommends the specialist. In the morning, if waking up is difficult, do not hesitate to use a dawn simulator that you place near your head.
Once the time has been changed, the body normally begins to get used to the new time in 2-3 days, explains our interlocutor. In other words, from the Tuesday or Wednesday following the time change, you should be perfectly recalibrated.