Expert advice on coping with Daylight Saving Time sleep loss
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - The return of Daylight Saving Time means we spring forward this weekend, setting clocks an hour ahead and losing an hour of sleep.
Some 55% of Americans report feeling tired after the time change.
Preparing for the transition to daylight saving time
At Franklin Clock Shop in Elmsford, owner Mahmood Ahmad said clock mechanics make it easier to spring forward than to fall back.
"Going forward is pretty easy as opposed to going backward," Ahmad said.
But human circadian rhythms? That's another story.
"Yeah, it impacts me a lot," White Plains resident Vernon Thomas said.
"I'm not a fan of losing the hour," Bobby Venuti of Elmsford said.
Neither is sleep expert Dr. Shelby Harris, director of Sleepopolis.com.
"The spring forward, you lose an hour of sleep, and that actually can worsen many things, including our functioning. Car accidents. People have more heart attacks in that three days after we lose that hour of sleep," Harris said.
There's a lot of talk about doing away with twice-yearly time changes, but for now they're a fact of life.
"So some people want to be able to adjust a little more easily. So what we actually recommend is if you go to bed about 15, 20 minutes earlier every night leading up, and wake up 15 to 20 minutes earlier, that way, come Saturday night into Sunday, when you spring ahead, you actually are on the new time, because you've done it gradually," Harris said.
Harris said that approach can help teenagers who already struggle with early wakeups.
How to adjust once the time changes
After the time change, she strongly advises spending time outdoors Sunday.
"Get light exposure in the morning. Make sure you go for a gentle walk, do something exercise-wise. It doesn't have to be hardcore. Just movement and light exposure," Harris said.
That will help your body rhythm reset.
Limiting alcohol and staying hydrated will both help ease the pain of losing an hour of sleep.
We spring forward at 2 a.m. Sunday.
