Today most states in North America "sprang forward" advancing our clocks for longer hours of afternoon and evening daylight. If this has you feeling sluggish you are not alone. According to research in "Current Biology" our internal daily rhythms, known as the circadian clocks, get a little testy with this time tinkering. Studies indicate it is light and darkness that keeps our internal clock ticking on time.
A spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests taking up to 6 milligrams of melatonin one hour before bedtime for four to seven days before time change and the same dose each night for a week after the time change. Another rhythm booster is a dose of bright natural light in the mornings and 2-hours of low light before bedtime each night.
Adequate rest plays a key role in weight loss and weight maintenance. The sooner your body adjusts to a time change, including traveling to different time zones, the more quickly it will return to a weight loss or weight maintenance metabolism.
In the meantime - enjoy those long afternoons of natural sunshine!
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