The sun’s gonna start peaking earlier when we set our clocks forward an hour for Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, March 14th.

Data’s consistently shown a temporary increase of heart attacks, strokes and mood disorders when clocks jump ahead.  Plenty of us just feel like zombies waking up for work the following Monday, too.

MindBodyGreen.com asked sleep experts what to do to avoid feeling lousy due to Daylight Saving Time and they suggested:

1. Back your sleep schedule by 15 minutes every night leading up to the weekend so you don’t get caught off guard by the time change.

2. Make sleep a priority this week to avoid an accumulated sleep debt.

 

There are also some things to do after the jump ahead to keep yourself healthy, like:

 1. Get outside as much as you can during the day, especially in the morning to get your body’s own clock in tune with its new rhythm.

2. Keep your home dark at night once the sun sets to send the message to your brain that it’s time to sleep.

 

…and finally: Have some patience with yourself and your sleep partner. Your body will find its rhythm post Daylight Saving Time.  Avoid a temporary rift with your partner by understanding you both might be a little cranky.