🌞 Don’t let daylight saving time mess with your sleep ⏰

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View this email online Today’s newsletter is brought to you by Life Kit digital editor Malaka Gharib Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 9, and that means for the majority of the United States, the clocks will spring forward one hour.  Losing an hour can mess with your sleep. It can take days for your body to adjust to darker mornings, and the shift to more light in the evening can leave your circadian rhythm out of sync, reports NPR’s Allison Aubrey.  Prepare yourself for the time change and sign up for our newsletter series, Life Kit’s Guide to Better Sleep. Over the course of one week, we’ll send you strategies to help you sleep better, deeper and longer so you can quickly get your sleep back on track.  Sign me up for one week of sleep advice What our NPR readers say about this series  Since launching last year, nearly 35,000 people have subscribed to Life Kit’s Guide to Better Sleep. Here’s what some of our audience members say about the series.These responses have been edited for length and clarity.  ✏️ I thought I had heard all the tips but these are great. I didn't know that going from a warm environment to a cold one, like a cool room, can promote sleep. I'm a bath person, so it's nice to be told I can do what I like to do! —Janie Cox ✏️ I felt validated that the habits I’ve acquired over the years are ones you also recommend. The point about not worrying about not getting enough sleep made me feel better. I’ve never been a good sleeper but being overly concerned about it certainly doesn’t help.  —Jeannie Smith ✏️ I saved these newsletters for a time when I had the space to evaluate my sleep hygiene and see where I could improve. One thing I found reassuring is that no two nights of sleep look the same, and our bodies change their patterns as we age. I think I have been hoping to regain the sleep of my past when the reality is that my health has changed significantly since then. I may need to reevaluate what “a good night’s sleep” looks like for me now. —Denise Taylor Denault  Sign up for our Guide to Better Sleep Newsletter continues after sponsor message 🌙 More sleep advice from Life Kit🌟 Shirley Chong for NPR Having trouble sleeping? To get back on track, avoid these 5 mistakes. When people can't sleep, they tend to take extreme measures to correct the issue. But that only makes sleep problems worse, say experts. Here are 5 bad habits to avoid when recovering from poor sleep. Read the story here. How to take the perfect nap. Ever wake up from a nap feeling extra groggy? Naps can be beneficial for your mental and physical health — but there are a few things you need to know. Read the story here. Popular myths about sleep, debunked. Is it OK to exercise before you hit the hay? Sleep for less than 5 hours a night? Sleep scientist Rebecca Robbins sets the record straight to help you get better sleep. Read the story here. How to stop “doomscrolling” on your phone before bed. When your days are packed, it can be hard to find some time to unwind. You might find yourself staying up past your bedtime, scrolling on social media or watching an extra episode of your latest show, partaking in what’s called "revenge bedtime procrastination." These tips can help you overcome it. Read the story here. Support our work & listen sponsor-free Support public media while getting expert advice on health, finance, relationships and more with Life Kit+. You'll get sponsor-free listening and even some specially curated playlists of episodes by theme (Master your budget, Organize your life, Move your body, and more).   Check out all the NPR+ benefits available at plus.npr.org. Explore Life Kit+ Letters from Life Kit’s inbox  Malaka Gharib/NPR “Your tips for parental burnout hit the mark”   Your pie chart accompanying the story on parental burnout caught my eye even though my young parent days are far behind me. These days, I'm a 77-year-old caregiver for my husband. He has multiple sclerosis, which luckily has progressed slowly, but he is no longer the wonderful, helpful partner he once was.  Like a single parent, all the household chores, decisions, schedules and plans are on me. Your tips for parental burnout hit the mark. I use many of them, but it was good to be reminded of some I have to use more often. —Joanne McGrath “Burnout for caregivers is serious, inevitable and personal”  I was a caregiver to my partner with cancer, another with Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and a month ago, to my closest friend with cancer.  Burnout for caregivers is serious, inevitable and personal. People say to get help and take a day off, but the reality is you often can't do either. I remember having to sneak in a bathroom break only to hear the front door open and see the person I was taking care of run outside. Three hours later, I finally talked him into coming inside.  I was just drained and remember asking myself: How can I possibly do this much longer? Here are my tips: Every morning, remind yourself of who you are beyond your caregiving role. Keep a journal or diary of your feelings and frustrations, not just notes about bowel movements and meds. Take longer drives when you take your person to their appointments, and listen to music. Drink good tea or something to comfort yourself for just a moment during the day.  Use as many laundry, grocery, delivery services as you can afford.   —Randy Granger   This week on Life Kit Malaka Gharib/NPR How to be a better movie watcher, according to film critics (plus a handy brochure!) This guide — which comes with a fun brochure you can download and print at home — offers advice on how to pick a film and get outside your comfort zone. Read the story here. Dear Life Kit: My friend texts me way too much. How do I get her to stop? An NPR listener says her friend pings her morning, noon and night, even if she doesn't respond. She'd like to say something, but she's afraid it will hurt her friend's feelings. Read the story here.  Freshen up your resume. Do's, don'ts and current best practices for resume-writing from career coach Cynthia Pong. One tip? Keep the format simple and make it easy to read. Read the story here.  Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: LifeKit@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Life Kit emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy