How to conquer the Clock Change this Autumn

When the clocks went back a few years ago and my three small children became sleep-bereft zombies, I researched all that I could to find a way through this torrid time. And I unearthed an age-old ingredient, that was shown to be incredibly effective, all natural way that entrains our body clocks and makes all the difference to disrupted sleep. And which became part of the formulation for the Award-Winning Be Sleepy remedy. 

 "Normal circadian rhythms are dependent upon exposure to regular light/dark patterns which reguates melatonin. Increased night‐time melatonin from darkness, promotes sleep, and decreased daytime melatonin, inhibited by daylight, promotes alertness"

Professor Lisa Ostrin University of Houston

Resorted to sleeping standing up

So I am particularly aware of how this seemingly innocuous event - the childfree see it as an extra hour in bed - can wreak the harshest of havoc on a household.

And this year I've created some failsafe ways to help you to be ready for it when it comes, and mean that any time changes or routine switches in future can be ridden out smoothly and sleep can be restored.

It's not surprising it packs such a punch, when our circadian rhythms, our biological clocks, dictate so many of our hormones, biochemical functions and the smooth running of this cycle is critical to our overall health and wellbeing.

From waking to hunger pangs, energy peaks and dozy slumbers, our circadian rhythm is regulated by the light around us, which keeps us on track, day and night.

How the circadian rhythm affects children is often overlooked but managing the delicate balance of this can hugely impact their long-term sleep patterns, their cognitive development, physical activity and mental health. It could also be the answer to sleepless nights. 

I put together some great ways to steer us through any timing disruptions, keeping children’s rhythms in place and on balance:

• Adjust timings incrementally, as below, a few days beforehand, by shifting bedtimes and mealtimes by 15 minutes a day, you'll reach the new time without the jolt

• Walk to school if you are able to – daylight in the morning has been shown to be the most effective way of entraining our circadian rhythm.

• Keep the bedrooms as dark as possible at home – again the light is key - blackout blinds come with me wherever I go, and eye masks for the older ones

• Add in a bedtime drink of Be Sleepy, a natural source of melatonin, which helps smooth over the gear change by adding the calm earlier in the evening as you adjust.                                  Sipping on it 1 - 2 hours before bed will help you relax and unwind for a restful night’s sleep.

Be Sleepy-ccino dreamy bedtime drink

RECIPE

• 1 sachet of BE SLEEPY 
• 200ml of warm milk

Be well, stay calm and keep dreaming.

Limited Edition  Dreamy Sleep Set