It’s no secret that sleep and bipolar mood stability go hand-in-hand. Here’s what the experts recommend for balancing your body clock—especially in preparation for Daylight Saving Time.

#1 Monitor Your Sleep

Clinical psychologist Mary Fristad, PhD, recommends tracking your nightly Sleep and corresponding mood states to understand your patterns and sensitivity to sleep disruptions. Use a mood tracker app or old-fashioned pen and paper.

#2 Skip Devices at Night

Blue light from your phone or tablet can throw off your internal clock. “It’s like carrying around a mini-sun in the evening,” says Helen Burgess, PhD, co-director of the Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan. Exposure to strong light suppresses melatonin production and makes it harder for the body to prepare for sleep.

#3 Shift Slowly

To anticipate the end of Daylight Saving Time or traveling to a different time zone, start nudging your sleep schedule forward or back by 15-minute per day about two weeks in advance. That way, you avoid a sudden shock to the system when the clock changes.

#4 Get Some Light

Experts advise trying to get outside early in the day to properly set your body clock. Phototherapy may be worth exploring in the darker seasons of the year, if you live in an area that tends to be cloudy, or if you have a seasonal pattern of depression. But talk to your psychiatrist first: For some people, too much bright-light exposure can trigger manic or hypomanic episodes.

From “Clock Work,” Fall 2020

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