4 Ways to Make the Dreaded Spring-Forward Time Change Less Painful

Ugh, the dreaded spring-forward time change.

Just when you get into the groove of enjoying that extra hour of sleep in the fall, the next time change is already here, and now you’re forced into losing an hour of sleep by springing forward.

While there have been talks about getting rid of these time changes, they’re here to stay for now.

Instead of going through the motions and feeling miserable with each change, we’re sharing four simple things you can do to make this process easier and less exhausting in this article.

4 Tips for Dealing with the Spring Forward Time Change So It Doesn’t Ruin the Next Few Days for You

Follow these strategies and you’ll find that the spring-forward transition isn’t as bad as it used to be and you’ll get to enjoy those extra hours of sunlight while everyone else is walking around like zombies:

1. Get Outside

One of the best things you can do for better sleep, in general, is to get outside first thing in the morning and as the sun sets in the evening.

Exposure to the sun at these crucial times in the day helps set your circadian rhythm — which controls your sleep-wake cycle — back to its natural and optimal state.

When you’re back on track with your circadian rhythm, you’ll have energy in the morning instead of feeling groggy, and you’ll be tired when it’s time for bed.

But it’s especially beneficial when the time changes as a natural way to get your body on the same spring-forward schedule as the sun.

Spend just a few minutes outside in the morning and after work — without sunglasses so that the light hits your eyes — each day, especially leading up to the time change, and you’ll help get your body back on track sooner. 

This next tip can also help you do that. 

2. Get in Some Exercise

While you should try to stay active each day, it’s even more important not to skip your workouts as the time change approaches.

Doing so can make it much harder to feel tired at night, making falling asleep more difficult.

But staying up too late is a recipe for an awful transition through the time change since you’ll lose an hour of sleep with the spring-forward adjustment.

Instead, try not to skip a workout — even going for a walk and getting outside is enough here — leading up to the time change, and you’ll find it’s easier to get to bed earlier (our next tip), and you’ll wake up feeling more refreshed.

3. Shift Your Bedtime Up a Few Days Before

We know this tip and the next one will be harder to implement than the first two, but they’re just as important.

While you probably don’t want to go to bed any earlier, you will be happy you did once you get through the time change.

Moving your bedtime routine up by 10 to 15 minutes earlier a few days leading up to the time change is enough to help you get to bed sooner and make the transition as painless as possible.

Practice good sleep hygiene, like turning off any TV, phone, or computer screens at least an hour or two before bed and winding down with a good book, a face mask, or a nighttime meditation before you usually would so that you can get to bed earlier. 

Trust us, you’ll be so glad you did.

4. Spring Forward on Saturday

Lastly, change your clocks and wake-up time to an hour earlier on Saturday instead of Sunday.

This gives you a full two days to adjust to the new time change, and it ensures that, by Monday, you’ve gone through the worst of it already.

It’s far easier to get through a time change when you don’t have to commute, show up to work, and deal with life’s stresses, which is why this tip works so well.

So while we know you probably want to put this time change off, it’s better to get ahead of it so that you can enjoy two days of taking it easy instead of being thrown into the deep end of your obligations while running on less sleep.

Get Ready for the Spring Forward Time Change Sooner Rather Than Later

Put these four tips into practice well before the time change hits and you’ll find that it’s not as bad as it usually is.

So while everyone around you will be groggier than usual the next day after the time change, you can go about your day like it never happened.

And, if you land on this article too late and you’re feeling sleep deprived after the time change, follow these tips for what to do when you don’t get enough sleep.

All that’s left to do now, aside from implementing these tips, is to spring forward and enjoy that extra sunlight that comes with this time change.

You got this!