6 Ways Springing Forward Affects Your Health, Workouts, and Life

It's amazing how losing one hour of sleep can have such a huge impact on how you feel. Headaches, dizziness, and crankiness are totally normal when you're operating on less sleep. The best way to prevent these symptoms is to begin to readjust your sleep schedule a few days prior to daylight saving by going to bed an hour earlier (and waking earlier, too). You'll also want to avoid napping since it will make it harder for you to fall asleep at night.

Losing an hour of sleep often means skipping out on a planned workout because you don't have the energy or can't wake up early enough to get it done. Not sticking to your usual routine one day somehow turns into two days, then a week, and so on. The domino effect is that missing out on regular exercise can affect your mood and sleep and lead to unhealthy habits. If you're too tired or short on time to exercise, aim for a shorter or less intense workout. And be mindful that sleepiness can make you more prone to getting injured, so you might want to skip any complicated, hardcore exercises.

Feeling grumpy, tired, and foggy-headed can impair your judgment, which can increase your risk for car accidents, falls, and careless mistakes like forgetting to turn off the stove. Stay safe by not overexerting yourself the first few days after the time change.

To make up for the lack of sleep, you may be tempted to reach for an extra cup of coffee. The extra caffeine can actually make you feel more jittery, induce anxiety, cause digestive issues, and make it harder for you to fall asleep later that night. Have your usual amount of caffeine, and definitely consume it before noon. Then get to bed earlier to get your zzz's.

Studies have found that in rare cases interrupting a person's circadian rhythm puts them at an increased risk for a common type of stroke known as an ischemic stroke, blocking blood flow to the brain. So don't skimp on the sleep, and try to stick to a regular schedule once the time change happens.

Sleep deprivation, even if it's just an hour, can affect the hormone levels that manage your appetite, making you more hungry and increasing cravings for carbs and sugary foods. Overeating in turn can lead to Spring weight gain, so make sure to get to bed early enough to get your usual night of sleep.