Sleepy Monday Is Upon Us

Sleepy Monday Is Upon Us

Spring is right around the corner and we finally got a break from the frigid cold temperatures that have been plaguing us all winter long. Combine warmer weather with daylight savings time and it seems like long sunny days are right around the corner. So what could be so bad about that?

Believe it or not the effects of daylight can dramatically impact our sleep patterns. Most people take a few more days to accommodate to the new sunrise and sun set schedule. Sometimes this manifests as a few later nights and earlier mornings than we would like. This may lead to general sluggishness in the morning. Scientists have developed a term for this condition referred to as “Sleepy Monday.” Most of us will be waking up what feels like one hour earlier (assuming we fall asleep at the time our body usually tells us to). The results of this relative hour shift of awake time can actually cause injury during our morning commute. By some accounts there is expected to be a 6-10% increase in auto accidents across the country on the first Monday following daylight savings time.

Unfortunately, folks, that’s this Monday. With a 6-10% increase in auto accidents, there should be an increase in Baltimore auto accidents, neck pain, back pain, and whiplash. While that is not necessarily a bad thing for me and my practice, I do not wish harm on anyone and want you to take any necessary precautions that you can to avoid becoming a patient.

Generally speaking this is a short term adjustment that we all must make and generally takes most people only 1-2 days to adjust back to a normal circadian rhythm. Besides drinking an extra cup of coffee in the morning on Monday, make sure to go to bed a little bit earlier the night before. Turn off the television as you drift off to sleep to make sure that you are rested the fully recommended 8 hours of sleep the night before.

So that’s it for now- enjoy your warmer weekend and have as much fun as you can with the one hour less of weekend that we have. Remember- there will be a lot of sleepy drivers on the road on Monday, so make sure you are extra rested to avoid being involved in a Baltimore auto accident and getting baltimore whiplash.

If you are unlucky enough to be involved in a Baltimore auto accident and require Baltimore auto accident treatment please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be glad to help!

Dr. Gulitz