This Simple Tip Can Help You Adjust to the Daylight Saving Time Change

Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 3, which means most Americans will gain an extra hour of sleep this weekend. However, it’s not always easy to adjust to the time change.

Research shows that moving the clock back an hour disrupts circadian rhythms and can harm sleep and health. Many professional organizations, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and American Medical Association, oppose changing the clocks every March and November for this reason.

A majority of Americans also support ending the seasonal time changes. Research has associated the “fall back” time change with less sleep during the following week.

“Americans dislike the clock change. It’s disruptive. Believe it or not, that one hour makes a big difference,” said Rebecca Robbins, PhD, a sleep scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Unless you live in Hawaii or most of Arizona, the clocks will change this weekend. Here’s what you can do to make the adjustment easier.

PSA: Stick to Your Normal Sleep Schedule

To prepare for the time change, keep your usual sleep schedule this weekend.

“The biggest mistake that people make is staying up one hour later on Saturday night. The best-case scenario would be falling asleep as close as possible to your normal sleep time. Say you typically fall asleep at 11 p.m., stick to that 11 p.m. bedtime,” Robbins said.

On Sunday morning, resist the urge to sleep in for more than an extra hour. Sleeping in over an hour can make your body think you jumped on a plane and hopped time zones, she said. This can disrupt your body’s natural circadian rhythm for a few days.

“Either get up at your normal time, if that’s 7 a.m., it’s going to be 6 a.m. on Sunday with the time change. If you’d like to get a little bit more sleep, maybe set your alarm clock to 6:30 a.m. in that case, to allow for maybe 30 minutes extra sleep,” she added.

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene Throughout the Winter

Some people have trouble sleeping well in the winter as the days get colder and darker. Consider trying to develop good sleep hygiene skills that you can use even after adjusting to the time change.

“This is a great time to just draw a little bit more attention to your sleep routine and your sleep behaviors as you approach bedtime,” Robbins said.

Avoid caffeine in the afternoon, don’t eat dinner too close to bedtime, and make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool.

Getting enough physical activity can also help you sleep well, but you might need to find creative ways to exercise in winter weather. Consider indoor activities, like walking up and down stairs or an online fitness class, during bad weather. Try to get some sunlight exposure during the day, if possible, since this helps maintain your sleep-wake cycle.

You can use the shorter days to develop a relaxing bedtime routine by adding a few habits—like reading a book or taking a bath—to the end of your day.

“We really do need to take time and give ourselves space to switch into a fundamentally different mindset at night, which is all about rest and relaxation,” Robbins said.