Don't forget to put your clocks back this weekend

This weekend we change the clocks back an hour and gain an extra hour in bed.

With the clocks going back an hour on Sunday at 2.00am we can often find our sleep, appetite and body are affected. 

For many people, adjusting their sleeping pattern a few days prior to the clocks changing can have a beneficial effect on their energy levels and how awake they feel when they wake up. This is because changing your sleeping pattern gradually is easier than giving your body a sudden shift in its waking and sleeping times.

Despite the fact we'll be enjoying an extra hour in bed, it can still prove disruptive to our body clocks. 

Try changing what time you get up and what time you go to bed a little three days before the clocks change, and then move into daylight savings gradually instead of suddenly. This can prevent the jet-lag effect that some people experience when they shift between standard and daylight savings time.

Having a good bedtime routine, also known as sleep hygiene, can really make a difference to getting to sleep at the right time and feeling more awake in the morning. So, try to avoid using your phone or other devices with screens for an hour before bed, and build a consistent routine that makes you feel relaxed.

Your bedtime routine should be individual to you, but reading a book has been shown to lower stress levels by 68%. So, it might be worth keeping a book by your bed.