5 Tips to Help You ‘Spring Forward’ This Sunday

Do you remember that bonus hour you received last fall? Well, this Sunday, they're taking it back. Sunday morning we all get to "spring forward" one hour for Daylight Saving Time. Aside from messing up your schedule, how does springing forward affect your health and mood?

Here's the good news - those of us who pull a 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift won't need a flashlight to get to our cars anymore. The sun will still be up, with daylight lasting later into the evening.

For those of us who don't belong to the "morning crowd," the time change provides the chance to enjoy outdoor activities later into the day. In other words, get your hiking shoes ready. After the dark winter months, you can get out and spend more time on Western Colorado trails.

It seems as if most everyone suffers a wicked case of the blues when this time of year rolls around. When your circadian rhythms get thrown out the window, what can you do to battle a case of the grumps?

According to CNN, Dr. Ilene Rosen, who serves on the board of directors for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, says, "The time change is kind of a society-imposed jet lag."

According to WebMD, moving out clocks either direction changes our principal time cue, namely light, for setting and resetting our 24-hour natural cycle, or circadian rhythm.

Our internal clock becomes out of sync or mismatched with our current day-night cycle. How well we adapt to this depends on several things. - WebMD

WebMD claims it takes about one day to get back in your groove. Apparently, WebMD didn't interview me when they came up with this estimate. It takes me an eternity. What can we all do to combat the effects of Daylight Savings Time?

According to TheDenverChannel.com, the following five steps will help reduce the effects:

• Wake up at the normal time on Sunday
• Eat well and exercise
• Get a good night's sleep on Sunday
• Try a low dose of Melatonin
• Know that your body will adjust

Remember to spring forward one hour this Sunday morning, March 10, at 2 a.m. While you're at it, use this as a chance to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors.