⏰🌼 Let's Spring Forward - Brain hacks to help you prep for it!

It’s that dreaded time of year again…

This coming Sunday, March 12th, we set our clocks forward one hour at 2 a.m., resulting in one less hour of sleep that night!

Adjusting the time by one hour may not seem like a lot, but I want you to be mindful!

According to a 2020 study, the risk of fatal traffic accidents increases by 6% during the spring DST transition in the US.

This also tracks with:

• the 24% increase in heart attack rates the following day after the “spring forward”
• workplace injuries
• increase in suicide rates
• and even the harshness of prison sentences by federal judges

Springing forward has harsh consequences for society!

After all, it has a significant impact on our individual circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle that is part of our body’s internal clock.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) shares:

“The one-hour time shift during daylight saving time results in less exposure to light in the morning and greater exposure to evening light relative to typical sleep and work schedules. As a result, we tend to go to bed and fall asleep later, resulting in chronic sleep loss. Daylight saving time causes ongoing misalignment between our sleep/wake rhythm and the light/dark cycle, also called “social jet lag.”

“The daylight saving time changes can be especially problematic for any populations that already experience chronic insufficient sleep or other sleep difficulties.”

HERE ARE SOME OF BRAIN & SLEEP-FRIENDLY TIPS TO HELP YOU ADJUST:

1. Get to the sun as soon as you wake up. When you wake, get sunshine as early as possible. This is important every day, but especially this Sunday. "View sunlight by going outside within 30–60 minutes of waking. Do that again in the late afternoon, prior to sunset. It sets off a timer in your nervous system that dictates when a different hormone, called melatonin, which makes you sleepy, will be secreted.” according to one of my favorite neuroscientists, Stanford School of Medicine’s Dr. Andrew Huberman.

2. Stick to your schedule. Be consistent with eating, social, bedtime, and exercise times during the transition to Spring Forward.

3. Be mindful of your sleep hygiene 💤 Cutting off alcohol intake 3–4 hours before bed, stopping caffeine consumption 6 hours before bed, avoiding heavy meals 4 hours before bed, eliminating exposure to blue light in the last 60 minutes of your day, or clearing your mind with a relaxing activity are all great places to start.

4. Help your body adjust to "spring forward." If possible, start going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier than your usual bedtime (before the time change) until you adjust. Your body needs that bit of extra time to make up for the lost hour.

5. Drink a relaxing tea 30 mins – 1 hour before bed to help you wind down 🛌 (I like this one).

6. Spray & rub magnesium oil on your feet before going to bed. I love this magnesium oil from NOW. Spray 2-3 times and massage the area. This oil is highly concentrated, (a little goes a long way!) + it’s non-greasy, cruelty-free, and paraben-free [use code CANDY for 20% OFF!].

7. If you work with computers or cellphones a lot after 7 p.m., make sure to switch to the “yellow” light, which is easier on your eyes and won’t disrupt your sleep pattern... Exposure to the blue light of electronic gadgets before you go to bed significantly affects your sleep quality, because it prevents your body from releasing melatonin, our SUPER IMPORTANT wake-sleep cycle hormone.

8. Also, use blue-light-blocking glasses! (I am OBSESSED with these ones. Use code CANDY for 15% OFF).

9. And lastly, be patient with yourself! It can take your body 5-7 days to adjust, so if you feel more sluggish than usual, give yourself some grace.

WHY IS SLEEP SO IMPORTANT TO ME? 💤

Sleep is often the single most important factor influencing health and happiness, and one of the biggest offenders when it comes to cognitive decline 🧠

If we want a sharp brain that is fit and ready to conquer the world, we must first conquer... our sleep!

Leave a comment and share with me which one(s) of these tips resonated most with you, and which ones you are ready to implement ASAP so I know you're serious about taking care of your brain and your sleep!

If you enjoyed this, share it on your feed so your friends and peers have access to this information and can subscribe to the newsletter as well.

Sharing is caring :)

If you want to receive the complete version of this newsletter straight to your inbox (more juicy brain and sleep hacks, studies, notes, actionable points, and the latest news), get the next ACTION PACKED newsletter by signing up here.

*As a bonus, you’ll receive a downloadable PDF called "10 Strategies to Start Healing & Optimizing your Brain 🧠" at no cost.

About the CEO Wellness Club Newsletter:

The CEO Wellness Club newsletter is a bi-weekly newsletter with the mission to create awareness and spark conversation around well-being for busy professionals and high-performers at the intersection of wellness, culture, and inclusion. With a hard focus on brain & sleep optimization, mental health, biohacking for longevity + wellness insights focused on our lives as busy professionals. Sign up for Candy Calderon's free newsletter through her website. The newsletter is curated by Candy Calderón 🧠 , the voice of a new generation. A trailblazer in the Health & Wellness space, especially for Latinas and Women of Color. Brain Health Proffessional & Wellness Expert who is a keynote speaker, consultant, educator, and diversity in wellness advocate. Candy is the founder of CEO Wellness Club , a company that offers brain & sleep optimization programs for founders, executives, and leaders of impact through behavioral and lifestyle changes, wellness strategies, technology, and accountability, helping them re-wire their brains and sleep better in order to maximize their potential, performance, life balance, cognitive fitness, and longevity. Candy also works with organizations through in-house trainings to improve their teams' effectiveness by implementing practical strategies designed to enhance mental agility and resilience, improve focus, reduce waste and distractions, and unlock innovation.

If you are seeking guidance and consultation around workforce well-being, brain health, mental health, and sleep optimization programs in your workplace, visit the website to learn more about services that can be tailored to your specific needs, or book a FREE 15-minute consultation call to learn more about how your organization or institution can benefit from Candy Calderón's expertise.

Add yourself to the email list so you can receive more free resources!

---

Additional Resources

• Schedule a 15-minute quick connect session to answer your workforce well-being or speaker request questions.
• How to Regulate Your Vagus Nerve in Support of Your Mental Health: Watch the replay now!

_ _ _

As usual, all opinions and suggestions of people, places, and products I love are my own. All linked products are independently selected and curated by the CEO Wellness Club team and me. If you love and buy something we link to, we may earn a commission. Ask your doctor before trying any new regimens, herbs, or supplements.