Dark at 5:00 PM: How to Keep Your Routine When the Clocks Change
It’s dark at 5:00 PM, your energy has fallen off a cliff, and you’re ready for bed at 7:00. Sound familiar?
When the clocks change, the extra hour of sleep sounds like a gift. Then your body wakes you up an hour early, the evening disappears, and the walk, workout, or dinner plan you had goes with it.
If your routine slips every November, it’s not a willpower problem. Your body is adjusting to a new schedule, and so is your calendar.
I’m in this with you. I teach 15 classes a week, I have clients to show up for, and I have a home to run. When it gets dark at 5, even my own workout feels harder to start.
This Sunday, November 1, the clocks fall back at 2:00 a.m. Here’s how to keep your routine when the clocks change, plus why we do this in the first place and whether it’s ever going away.
Why you feel sleepy so early
After the clocks change, your body is still running on the old time. At 7:00 p.m., it thinks it’s 8:00. That’s why you’re ready for bed right after dinner and wide awake an hour before your alarm. It’s temporary, and it’s not a flaw.
7 ways to keep your routine when the clocks change
You don’t need to do all of these. Pick one or two that fit your life.
1. Hold your wake time on the clock, then ease into it
I’m up at 4:45 most mornings, and right after the change my body wants to wake up at what the clock calls 3:45. Getting up an hour early isn’t the goal.
Aim to get back to your usual clock time by getting up about 15 minutes later each day. If you wake up early, keep the lights low and give yourself a quiet start.
2. Get bright light early
Light is the strongest signal telling your body what time it is. Step outside once the sun is up, even for 10 minutes.
If you’re up well before sunrise like I am, a light therapy lamp is worth a look. These lamps give off bright light that works like daylight, with the UV rays filtered out. Look for one rated at 10,000 lux at the distance you’ll actually sit, and use it for about 20 to 30 minutes in the morning. Put it next to your coffee, your desk, or wherever you start your day, and don’t stare directly at it.
Talk to your doctor first, especially if you have bipolar disorder, an eye condition, or take a medication that makes you sensitive to light.
Light therapy glasses are newer, and I haven’t tried them yet. I’m curious, since they’d let me get that early light while I’m on the treadmill. I’ll let you know how it goes.
3. Don’t go to bed at 7
If you head to bed the moment you feel sleepy, you’ll wake up in the middle of the night ready to start your day. Try to hold your regular bedtime on the clock, or push it back 15 to 30 minutes at a time. Expect to feel sleepy early for a week or two.
4. Keep the lights bright in the evening
Dark windows and a dim lamp tell your body it’s bedtime. Turn on the bright overhead lights and keep them on until about an hour before you actually want to sleep. Then dim them.
5. Give the dark hours a job
The couch is the fastest way to fall asleep at 6:30. Plan something active or social for the evening: cook dinner, do a load of laundry, take a 10 minute stretch or walk after dinner (indoors counts), call a friend, or tackle a small project. Keep your hands and brain busy, and save the couch for the last hour of the day.
6. Move your movement earlier
If you used to walk or work out after work, the darkness might end that plan. Try a lunchtime walk, a morning workout, or an indoor option you can do at home. Daylight is a resource now, so use the middle of the day.
7. Lower the bar, don’t drop the habit
This is the time of year to focus on a smaller, easier version of your routine. Ten minutes still counts. I’ll be sharing more about this idea next week.
If you do walk outside at dusk, wear something reflective or carry a small light so drivers can see you.
Be patient with yourself
Most people feel more like themselves again within a few days to a couple of weeks. Feeling sleepy early in the evening is normal while your body catches up. If low mood or low energy lingers through the winter, it’s worth mentioning to your doctor.
Why do we change the clocks?
If you’ve ever wondered why we put ourselves through this twice a year, you’re not alone.
You’ve probably heard it was for the farmers. It wasn’t. Farmers were actually some of the loudest opponents of the idea.
The practice took hold in the U.S. during World War I as a way to save energy. When the war ended, farmers pushed back and it was repealed. It returned during World War II, and a federal law in 1966 set one national schedule.
In the 1970s, during the oil crisis, Congress tried keeping daylight saving time all year. It lasted only a few months, because parents didn’t like sending kids to school in the dark. Today, most of the country changes the clocks twice a year. Arizona and Hawaii are the exceptions.
Will daylight saving time ever go away?
Maybe someday, but not by Sunday.
This summer the House passed a bill called the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent. It passed by a big margin, 308 to 117. But the Senate hasn’t acted on it, and it isn’t scheduled to return until the week of November 9. Even if it moves forward, it still has to clear the Senate and be signed into law.
It also isn’t as simple as “stop changing the clocks.” People who agree we should stop switching disagree about which time to keep. Permanent daylight saving time means brighter evenings, but very dark winter mornings. Many sleep experts, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, recommend permanent standard time because it lines up best with your body’s natural clock.
I’m not here to pick a side. I’m here to help you handle whichever clock we get.
Your routine is allowed to change with the season
This is a season, not a setback. Your goals are allowed to adjust to the time of year, and that isn’t failure. That’s just real life.
If the darker months are when your routine falls apart every year, send me a message. I’d love to help you build a plan that fits your real life, not the other way around. You can learn more on my Train With Me page or join my mailing list for weekly tips.
