Daylight Saving Time Ends on Sunday – 6 Ways to Adjust Your Sleep Schedule

It’s almost time to turn back the clocks, as Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 3, 2024.

While we technically get an hour of sleep back this weekend, it can be challenging to feel bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when we wake up in the dark. The end of DST disrupts our circadian rhythm, which dictates sleep patterns and encourages snoozing when the sky is dark and rises and shines with daylight.

Experts say that being up before sunrise is not good for your mental or physical health. Sleep deficits caused by jet lag can affect thinking, decision-making and productivity.

In fact, two in five Americans will experience “daytime dread” as they prepare to change the clocks this week — and with good reason.

“We don’t really know the specific reason for the increase in heart disease and stroke around the time of day, but it likely has something to do with the disruption of the body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm. Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, former president of the American Heart Association, said in 2022.

While turning the clock back doesn’t tend to be as rough on our bodies as going forward, the end of DST can still result in less energy, overeating, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

The end of DST often marks the onset of SAD, which affects up to 5% of the adult population, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

As we march into the dark dawn of winter, experts are sharing six ways to improve your sleep hygiene and mood to ensure a better rest and morning.

Get straight with the light

Experts agree that the single best way to feel alive when your AM alarm goes off is to expose yourself to a light source as soon as possible.

Exposure to light releases melatonin, the sleep hormone, making you feel more awake and less groggy. Pulling back the curtains and letting in the light during spring and summer is easy, but fall and winter require different tactics.

Consider investing in a sunrise light box or alarm that simulates a natural dawn. By mimicking the natural light exposure that affects our internal clock, these alarms aim to create a gentler wake-up experience that can help us get up and go.

Move

Just as sunlight clears melatonin, physical activity raises core temperature and triggers the release of cortisol.

The so-called stress hormone makes you feel more alive/awake and less inclined to curl up in the fetal position under your weighted blanket.

Bonus: You don’t have to start your HIIT workout first thing in the morning (but you do anyway).

Fiona Barwick—director of the Sleep and Circadian Health Program at Stanford University—told SELF magazine this month that any amount of movement, including stretching you can do from the comfort of your comforter, matters to feeling awake, “ Pick a form of movement you like, pick a time when you feel confident you can do it, and then that’s what you do.

Get out

While we may not be able to experience daylight first thing, we can make it a point to soak it up throughout the day.

“To synchronize the new light-dark cycle with your circadian clock, try to get as much sun exposure as possible in the late afternoon before you turn the clock back, and as much sun in the morning after the time change for to help ease the transition,” Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown, sleep medicine physician and founder of Restful Sleep MD, told Sleep.com this month.

“The reason why is that this provides a gradual shift of the internal clock pending the change,” Afolabi-Brown added.

Adjust your sleep schedule and limit blue light

To help minimize the effects of ending DST on your body, Afolabi-Brown recommends going to bed and waking up 15 minutes later each day leading up to the change.

Medical experts also recommend cutting screen time 30 minutes before bed.

Louisiana hand surgeon Nick Pappas says, “Limiting screen time (which emits blue light) 30 minutes before bed can help you sleep better by not inhibiting the production of melatonin, your sleep hormone.

This enforced digital detox is backed by science, as smart devices and screen time have been linked to insomnia, poor sleep quality and symptoms of depression.

Win for sound sleep, especially when the onset of winter threatens your sleep quality.

Dine in the early bird window

Timing your evening meal at an earlier time can improve sleep and aid digestion.

“Early bird access” requires teat your last meal between 5pm and 7pm, allowing you to adjust to your body’s natural circadian rhythm and leave time for an after-dinner walk.

Eating a nutrient-dense meal is also essential for sound sleep. Foods high in fat or acid, caffeine, and spicy flavors are more likely to cause indigestion and heartburn, making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Foods that promote better sleep tend to have a good balance of protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Take a walk before sunset

After feasting on your early bird feeder dinner, consider walking in the dim light of day.

Not only does this activity increase your exposure to light and improve digestion, it can aid in a restful night’s sleep.