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It鈥檚 starting to get dark so early. Are you already feeling it? Daylight Savings Time ended on Nov. 5 and with it, we turned the clocks back an hour. While we got to sleep in a little longer on Sunday,听the early darkness that follows the time change can听cause us to feel tired and groggy. But that doesn鈥檛 mean听you should fall听asleep as soon as it gets pitch black outside.

How听can you adjust to the time change as quickly as possible and sleep well? Read on for some tips.

1.听Maintain a regular sleep schedule

As college students, many of us don鈥檛 have regular sleep schedules, but it鈥檚 really important to develop good habits. Don鈥檛 drastically shift your sleep schedule just because it鈥檚 darker outside. Try to get to bed and wake up about 10-15 minutes earlier than usual to help your body adjust. Although it might be hard in the beginning, in a couple weeks, you should feel tired when it鈥檚 close to your time to call it a night and not too tired when you wake up.听

2.听Do daily tasks at regular times

鈥淭his adjustment isn鈥檛 normally as听disruptive to our bodies as the 鈥榮pring ahead鈥� transition in March, but it can certainly still have an effect on our sleep cycle. My recommendations would be to stick to your normal routine and embrace that extra hour of sleep you鈥檒l receive,鈥� says Shannon Seiferth, a wellness educator/counselor at Health & Wellness.

Complete daily tasks, like working out and eating, when you did听them before the time change so your body (and day) does not get completely thrown off. You don鈥檛 want to be hungry in the middle of the night or too energized to sleep as a result of changing your habits.

3.听Limit naps

Some days you need to nap, especially if you are feeling ill, but generally听limit them to about 20 minutes a day so as not to interfere with your sleep patterns at night.

4.听Create a space where you can actually sleep

Take the time to create a space where you can rest. Yes, it鈥檚 tempting to look at your phone before falling asleep, but听听an hour before you plan to go to bed. The bright lights from screens can cause your body to feel alert听and not ready for sleep. Oftentimes,听quickly reading a friend鈥檚 text听turns into hours of scrolling through news feeds and messages or a Netflix binge-watching session. Do yourself a favor and put听your devices听away. Keep the lights off and the temperature cool wherever you are sleeping. Do something relaxing before bed to help yourself unwind after a busy day. Doing these things might be difficult at times, but your body will thank you.

Why is sleep important?

鈥淪leep allows the mind and body to rest and recharge itself; it鈥檚 what sets us up for peak performance the next day. Sleep is what gives us the energy we need to do well in class, cope with stress and stay active,鈥� says Seiferth.

Sleep is always important, but it鈥檚 an especially timely topic due to the recent time change. Lack of sleep can听lead to many problems, including:

• Poor听academic and athletic performance
• Memory loss and inability to concentrate
• Irritability
• Increased fatigue
• A weakened immune system
• Headaches and stomach aches

How much sleep do I need?

According to the听, the recommended range of hours of sleep per night for young adults ages 18-25 is seven to nine hours, though some people might need a minimum of six or a maximum of 11. These ranges differ from person to person. Be mindful of how much sleep you听are听getting versus how much you听should be听getting.

By applying these tips, a good night鈥檚 sleep should be in your future, even with the seasonal darkness.

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