Unless you still haven’t emerged from your bed since this weekend, you’ll have noticed that we officially lost an hour of sleep to British Standard Time.
This tradition, which dates back to World War I in an effort to save energy and coal consumption to aid the wartime effort, sees Britons pushing their clocks forward an hour to to make the most of the sunlight and longer days in the build-up to summer.
And although this practice sounds great when it comes to adjusting our daily schedules, it’s important to remember that we have just missed out on a whole hour of sleep! Pairing this with the fact that nearly half of our population sleeps poorly, meaning that they get six hours or less every night, it’s not difficult to understand why such a sudden change may prove problematic.
We know that being sleepy at work is both unprofessional and impacts our productivity and efficiency negatively, akin to being slightly drunk, but what can we do to accommodate the new time?
Perhaps it’s best to treat the change to British Standard Time like a form of jet lag. Quite simply, we recommend that you go to bed an hour earlier than normal to prepare in advance for the next day, and spend as much time as possible in the sunlight to keep the yawns at bay.
If you’re feeling particularly tired at your work desk, and if it’s not entirely frowned upon, it’s worth taking a 20-minute powernap in the afternoon to boost energy levels and concentration. There’s no harm in taking a quick snooze to battle the drowsiness and kick your new schedule into place.
And, as usual, it’s good to maintain a regular pre-sleep routine in order to wind down properly before bed. Keep the phones away so as not to stimulate yourself with blue-light, and take it easy before falling asleep at a reasonable time to ensure enough slumber for the next day.
After all, we are adjusting our schedules for just one hour difference, so we’d hope that Britain returns to an unconfused, non-sleepy normal in a matter of 24 hours. Minus the predicted onset of the third Beast From The East this coming weekend, we have much summery goodness to look forward to with our new time!
For more on the effects of alcohol upon your sleep and so much more, check out this fantastic article by Helen Sanders, on HealthAmbition.com.
