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.