I Made A Walking Change Ahead Of Clocks Going Back, And My Sleep Is Already Better

Though the upcoming clock change promises an extra hour in bed, some experts think that doesn’t actually happen in real life. 

Instead, Harvard Health writes, “Many people don’t, or can’t, take advantage of this weekend’s extra hour of sleep. And the resulting shift in the body’s daily sleep-wake cycle can disrupt sleep for several days”. 

That’s partly why sleep experts reccomend “staggering” your bedtime in the lead-up to the clocks going back this weekend (26 October). 

“One of the worst things you can do when the clocks go back is to ignore your sleep schedule and expect your body to instantly adjust,” sleep expert Alison Jones from Sealy UK previously told us. 

But that doesn’t just mean changing when you nod off. An early morning habit can help too – and having tried it, I can say it’s already begun to help my sleep. 

Morning walking can help to regulate your body clock 

Bethany Lawrence, an orthopaedic expert for Panda London, previously told HuffPost UK that “Natural light exposure in the morning helps reset your circadian rhythm”. 

So, if you’re looking to get over disruptions to your sleep/wake cycle, “Try taking a walk outside or opening your curtains early to get as much light as possible, improving mood and helping your body adjust to the time shift”. 

As it happens, I’d been trying the 6-6-6 walking technique (it involves walking for 60 minutes at either 6pm or 6am – I chose the morning one). 

But because I found that the morning light was more important than the actual hour of the stroll, I’ve started adjusting it to fit my local sunrise. 

So, I set off at 7:30 for a later dawnbreak, and because of the delay, I no longer walk the full hour on workdays.

Not only do I find the beauty of the dawn walk a great motivator, but, per the Cleveland Clinic, just 10 minutes of sunlight can help our body to receive its benefits. 

And clinical psychologist Dr Michael Breus, better known as The Sleep Doctor, said: “Every single human, just as soon as possible after waking up, should go outside and get at least 15 minutes of direct natural light. Period”.

The change has helped my sleep already 

Though my walks have gotten shorter as the weather’s gotten colder (and as the sunrise time creeps later and later), I’ve still noticed less 3am wake-ups, a reduction in morning fatigue, and an easier journey to dreamland. 

Scientifically speaking, that makes sense. “Morning bright light resulted in higher sleep efficiency, less sleep fragmentation, shorter time in bed, earlier sleep onset, and lower” morning fatigue, a 2023 paper found.

And as we’ve mentioned, slowly building your sleep pattern to match the clock changes will likely lead to better results than simply changing your whole routine the second they go back. 

That’s without mentioning the mood-boosting, heart-health-improving benefits of morning walking, either.

It looks like this is a change I’ll be sticking with, especially in the colder months.