It's that time of the year again — Daylight Savings has arrived, and as we "spring forward," we set our alarm clocks up one hour.
It can be tough to give up those precious minutes, but Dr. Christopher Winter, a sleep expert and spokesperson for health tracker Basis, is here for you. He shared his top six healthy sleeping tips with Mashable to help maximize your bedtime and quickly adjust to DST.
Even though you're losing an hour in the day, it's best to not try to go to sleep an hour early. Go to bed at the time you normally do, instead of trying to "catch up" on the hour DST took away.
"Think of it this way — it’s easier to wait to eat at 8 p.m. than it is to force yourself to eat at 4 p.m. when you’re not hungry," Winter says. "The same goes for sleep. If you wait until you’re actually sleepy, you’ll get a more quality night of sleep — even if it’s only five hours."

Image: Flickr, FireFly3k

It's important to adjust to the time change right away. If you normally wake up at 7 a.m., keep waking up at that time, even after the clocks have changed.
"The biggest mistake you can make is 'sleeping in' the night after the transition," Winter says. "The brain needs 24 hours to reset itself, and if you try to 'make up' sleep, it’s only going to make the transition harder."
Get acclimated to the beginning of the day by sauntering over to your nearest window and opening the blinds. Take it slow, since brightness is painful to deal with in the morning, but try to seek light as soon as you can. According to Winter, "it really helps to awaken the brain."

Image: Flickr, Ako'y isang Pinoykodakero

To further spark up your senses, it's best to get moving. If you're not a gym person, just do simple things such as jumping jacks or light housework.
Even if you come home from work or school feeling exhausted, fight away any nap-time feelings. After DST, you shouldn't try to grab the lost hour of sleep, because it'll create a harmful cycle.
"This can really throw off your routine and perpetuate the rough transition," Winter says.

Image: Flickr, ElTico68

If you're slowly getting ready to go to bed, "turn off as many lights as possible," Winter says. It sends a signal to your body to relax, because sleep is on the way. You'll be physically and mentally prepared to have a night full of total slumber.
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