With the clocks due to go forward this weekend, research from leading CBD brand Love Hemp has revealed why losing the extra hour in bed may dampen the spring in your step for up to a week after.
According to Loughborough University sleep expert Professor Kevin Morgan, changing the clocks in autumn and spring affects our circadian (body clock) rhythm, which can impact our wellbeing. Most bodily functions are synchronised with the time of day and regulated by our ‘body clock’. Clock times change instantly; body clocks take longer to catch up,’ the professor says.
Professor Morgan suggests that we experience a one-hour ‘social jet lag’ every time the clocks spring forward and fall back: ‘The most noticeable effect of messing about with time in spring and autumn is the creation of a one-hour ‘social jet-lag. For about a week after the clocks change, your body may be a bit out of sync with things like mealtimes, peak performance times, and bedtimes.’
In our bodies, it feels the same as the jet lag from a flight to Malta for about a week after the clocks change. Relative to local time, we feel tired, hungry or wide-awake at the ‘wrong’ times.
Our circadian rhythm is closely linked to sleep. It responds to light during the day to keep us awake. At night it signals our body to produce melatonin (the sleep-promoting hormone) to help us sleep.
Many Brits will be welcoming the lighter nights, too, with 59% of those surveyed saying they would prefer to stay on permanent summertime. To help you recover after the spring clock change, Love Hemp has selected five viral TikTok trends to help support sleep and reset your body.
TikTok tips to a good night’s sleep
Wear socks to bed
According to paediatrics resident Dr Jess Andrade, socks help to cool the body down and tell the body that it’s time for bed. With 3.5m Tiktok likes, it’s worth a try.
Limit the light
Remember how melatonin works with our circadian rhythm? Dr Andrade also recommends avoiding laptop and phone screens before going to bed to help your body produce melatonin.
Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique
At 1.4m views, Tiktok’s Dr Bruce, aka ‘The Sleep Doctor’, suggests breathing in for a count of 4, holding for 7, then breathing out for 8. This allows the lungs to empty any carbon dioxide, encouraging fresh air and meaning your heart has to work less. Less work = more chance of falling asleep faster.
Eat a snack to top up glucose levels
Tiktok health coach Andy Jay suggests eating a fatty or sugary snack just before bed to keep glucose levels topped up throughout the night, avoiding a melatonin drop at around 3 or 4 am that may wake you up. At 1.2m views, TikTokers hail medically-approved late-night snacking.
Relax to ASMR
ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is a tingling sensation that induces calm and sleepiness. Triggers include tapping on objects, soft whispering and hand movements. 24.5m Tiktokers have already watched @jociebasmr ‘apply make-up aggressively’ to the camera in POV video viewers have found incredibly relaxing.
For more tricks on getting a good night’s sleep, head to Love Hemp’s round-up of the best sleep tips and how to recover; now, the clocks have changed.
