COVID and the end of daylight savings time

Posted by Merry, Alumni Mentor @merpreb, Oct 25, 2020

November 1st marks the end of daylight savings time or what is called "summertime". Turning our clocks back to Standard Time is supposed to make better use of natural light. Even gaining one hour of sleep messes up our circadian rhythms because is controlled by our hormones that regulate hunger, mood, and sleep. And when that gets something different it doesn't like it.

Changing back to standard time really messes up my sleep. I don't seem to get one more hour and may wake up an hour earlier. And I already feel that my times are messed up from self-isolating with my husband at our end of a dead-end street. The only thing that appears to change is the color of the leaves and when the sun rises and sets. And a lot of times I'm not even sure what day it is. It's such a weird time. This just adds to an abnormal lifestyle for me.

The times that I eat, sleep, and take my medicines will also change. The amount of natural light changes to less in the afternoons and night. I, therefore, have less light to help with my depression and PTSD. A couple of years ago I bought a Verilux lamp that I use every morning for a half-hour. I also tend to get more migraines so this light helps to lessen those too.

Every fall I try hard to change something that will help me adjust to these changes better. I think that this year I am going to put more lights on in the house earlier to help me get going better and sooner. Maybe I'll even exercise earlier too.

What changes will you make to accommodate the changes in sleep and the disruptions that this will cause in your life?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Oct 29, 2020

In reply to @artscaping "Hey there @merpreb and everyone. This was fun. Lots of different issues all over the place..." + (show)

Chris - Like you, I just turn up the light! We have skylights in the kitchen & dining room, which suffice in summer, but as the sun angle lowers, they do little. Thanks to LED's throughout the house, in the "right spectrum" (researched & chosen by my husband, so I don't know the details) I can have brightness all day, yet my power bill is lower than ever. Yesterday I was in my so-delightful sewing studio - windows on 2 sides, lights overhead, OTT light at the machine...making new, warm winter blankets for us and the littles.
Sue

John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Oct 30, 2020

I learned an interesting tidbit of information this morning at my Toastmasters Zoom meeting from our resident grammarian. It's not daylight "savings" time, it's daylight "saving" time. Here I've been saying it wrong my whole life...😉

Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Oct 30, 2020

In reply to @johnbishop "I learned an interesting tidbit of information this morning at my Toastmasters Zoom meeting from our..." + (show)

Oh, YOu are right!

fiesty76 | @fiesty76 | Oct 31, 2020

In reply to @artscaping "Hey there @merpreb and everyone. This was fun. Lots of different issues all over the place..." + (show)

Hi, @artscaping and others, I just saw this and thought I'd share it for those of us whose smiles turn down with too much darkness: "With nearly 2,000 five-star ratings, the Lumos Lamp comes highly recommended by Amazon shoppers for everything from fixing circadian rhythm disorder to improving symptoms of depression". $40 tall & slender Luckily, living in the southwest means far more days of sunshine than in some parts of the nation but for those, like me, who experience a drop in good spirits with shorter days of sunlight, this might be worth a look.