Daylight-savings time (DST) begins on a weekend in March, when in the middle of the night the clock jumps forward an hour. While a simple one-hour shift may not seem like a big deal, research has shown that the clock change does mess with sleep patterns and the body’s natural, circadian rhythm – with some serious consequences. The good news is that there are a number of steps you can take to help minimize these negative effects and drinking kava as a herbal sleep aid is one of them.
How daylight-savings time affects sleep patterns
The effects of the clock changes each year are known to be worse in the spring. In March, with the introduction of daylight savings time, you will lose an hour of sleep, (assuming your alarm clock goes off at its usual hour). There will be one hour less daylight in the mornings and an extra hour of daylight in the evenings. This confused your internal body clock and it becomes out of sync with the new day to nighttime cycle. After daylight-savings time begins, for a full week or more, it’s common to experience difficulty waking up and to feel groggy in the morning— both symptoms of sleep deprivation.
Here’s how drinking kava, as part of a new evening routine, can make it easier to adjust to the spring clock change.
Drinking Kava to improve sleep and counter the effects of DST.
Daylight savings time asks your body to go to bed and wake up earlier. For example, say you normally go to bed at 11pm and wake at 7am, with the introduction of daylight-savings time, while the clock on the wall reads 11pm, your internal body clock is telling you it’s 10pm. Similarly, when the alarm goes off at 7am, your internal body clock is reading 6am. And that’s not fun, especially if you are more of a night owl than a morning lark.
How can you sync your internal body clock to the external time? What can you do, when at 11pm, you are not feeling tired? It will be lighter outside, and your body’s biology simply doesn’t associate daylight and time for bed. Light suppresses the secretion of the sleep-inducing substance melatonin and is the main environmental factor affecting sleep. Going to bed later is not the answer and would only aggravate the negative effects. Instead, we recommend you try drinking kava as a herbal sleep aid to trick your body into feeling sleepy.
Kava has long been acknowledged as a solution for those who have a difficult time meeting the Sand Man. A number of the main ingredients in Kava root, kavalactones, are responsible for relaxing muscles, lowering the anxiety-inducing activity in the brain and, creating a sense of heaviness, peacefulness, and calm. And this is just how you want to feel around bedtime if you hope to get a good night’s sleep.
Kava is best prepared and consumed a couple of hours before you plan to go to sleep, preferably before you eat or 2-3 hours after eating. Kava’s beneficial effects work best on an empty stomach. So, timed right, drinking kava will make you feel tired and ready for bed at the hour of your choice.
Drink heavy kavas to induce sleep when desired
Some kavas are better for promoting sleep than others. You’ll want to choose a kava that is classed as a heavy kava. Heavy kavas are known for their ability to relax your muscles and body and eventually, for instilling an overall sense of sleepiness. Some of our customers are shift-workers and regularly have their sleep patterns disrupted and they prefer heavy kavas for this reason.
We recommend trying our Borongoru® kava from Vanuatu to help you adjust to Daylight Savings Time sleep patterns. It is the perfect heavy kava for relaxing your body and lulling your mind to sleep.
Make drinking kava part of a new bedtime routine
The Sleep Foundation argues that daylight-savings time is a great time to reset your sleep habits, as well as your clock. We agree. Drink kava as a herbal sleep aid to help you wind down each evening and make it part of a new bedtime routine.
Let us know how this year’s shift to daylight-savings time goes for you and whether you’ve ever used kava as a sleep aid in the comments below.
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