BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Many are getting ready to fall back during daylight saving time, but many lawmakers wish to do away with the practice.

Senator Tommy Tuberville has remained vocal that the changing of clocks twice a year negatively impacts mental health and the overall well-being of Alabamians. Sen. Tuberville is a co-sponsor of the Sunshine Protection Act, which would eliminate the practice. The bill remains stalled in committee.

Trey Tucker, a licensed Mental Health Therapist with Rugged Counseling, says a lack of sunlight can have a major impact in not only sleep, but mood.

“When it’s pitch black, it may as well be 10:00, so there’s this kind of discouraging feeling you get hit with when you leave the office and its only 5:00, 6:00,” Tucker says.

Tucker says from a mental health perspective, consistency is key when it comes to time.

“We’ve got to be more consistent with our daylight and with our time. I don’t think it matters which one they stick with but as long as we keep consistency that’s the broader generalization and it also works with individual life,” he says.

To help your body adjust, Tucker recommends cutting back on alcohol and caffeine, moving regularly, and getting as much sunlight as possible.

“Try to go to bed a little bit later tonight just because our circadian rhythms get messed up when all of a sudden we get a whole extra hour that we have to figure out what to do with,” Tucker explains.

If you try these things and are still struggling, Tucker says that’s when it might be time to reach out to a therapist.

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