Sleep Expert Explains How To Beat Daylight Saving Time To Punch
(CBS) -- A sleep expert says you can start preparing your body clock now for Daylight Saving Time instead of waiting until early Sunday morning.
We move our clocks ahead at 1 a.m. Sunday, but Dr. Vikas Jain suggests you should start going to bed 15 minutes earlier now.
Eating dinner a little earlier will help the process, says the sleep specialist at Northwestern Medicine's Central DuPage Hospital.
If you're not that much of a planner, Dr. Jain says just set your clock ahead on Saturday so you go to bed an hour early.
He cites several studies that show losing just one hour can increase activity in genes that are associated with increased inflammation, stress, diabetes and cancer.
There are also the short-term effects, such as an increased likelihood of car accidents and heart attacks on the Monday after the time change.
Making the switch to Daylight Saving Time should also mean shutting off your electronic devices before bed because their artificial light stops the body from producing sleep-inducing melatonin.
To help your internal clock wake up on Sunday morning, Dr. Jain suggests getting some sunlight as early as possible.
Even if you don't proactively take steps, he says most people adjust to the new time within a week.