Daylight time: 6 tips for autumn's clock change

With clocks turning back one hour at 2:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning, how could the extra snooze time be anything other than a bonus?

Seasonal time changes always come with a trade-off. Here are six tips to make the time transition easier and make the clock adjustment work in your favour.

• Take advantage of the opportunity to get an extra hour of sleep. Don’t stay up later in anticipation of the time change.
• Eat healthy and keep hydrated. Avoid caffeinated beverages, since too much caffeine can further disrupt your natural sleep rhythm.
• Increase your exposure to bright light and physical activity during the day until late afternoon/early evening to help compensate for the overall reduction of daylight hours.
• Get your daily dose of Vitamin D. The two best ways to get the Vitamin D you need are to get adequate sun exposure (15 to 30 minutes per day in summer/southern regions — it's very difficult to get enough exposure in winter in northern regions because of reduced UV levels), or to take vitamin D supplements.
• Drivers should be extra alert — pull over if you're driving and feel drowsy. The only cure for sleepiness is sleep. Opening the window or turning up the radio are not effective ways to stay awake.
• Use this clock-change weekend as an opportunity to make home safety checks. Check and replace batteries in home smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.