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5 Ways to Survive Daylight Saving Time

1 minute read
By TIME Staff

Start Adjusting Your Body Clock Now

<br>Sure, it’s only an hour, but shifts in sleep schedules can throw off those of us who are already sleep-deprived. That includes many Americans, one-third of whom <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2011/03/04/sleepy-america-are-you-getting-enough-rest-at-night/" target="_blank">don't get the 7 to 9 hours</a> of nightly slumber <a href="http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need">recommended</a> by the National Sleep Foundation, according to recent government data. Chronic lack of sleep is <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2010/09/02/lack-of-sleep-can-cause-depression-weight-gain-and-even-death/" target="_blank">associated with health risks</a> like weight gain, depression and even early death, but even in the short term, sleep loss can be a hazard: a 2001 study <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945700000320">found</a> that traffic accidents bump up slightly on the Monday following the spring shift to Daylight Saving Time.<br><br><br><br>(<strong>MORE: </strong><a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,849708,00.html?pcd=pw-hl">President Roosevelt Institutes Daylight Saving</a>)<br><br><br><br>To keep your sleep schedule on track through the time change, Loyola University sleep specialist Dr. Sunita Kumar recommends gradually pushing your bedtime earlier in increments of 10 to 15 minutes on the days leading up to it — it’s how astronauts prepare for space travel. “That way, it doesn’t seem like you are trying to go to bed so early when it’s Daylight Saving Time. It will be more natural,” says Kumar. You'll also be less likely to feel the need to sleep in after the change, a habit that can lead to more sleeplessness at night. “Sleeping in until 10 a.m. or noon leads to gross fluctuations in your sleep cycle,” warns Kumar.<br><br><br><br><strong>MORE: </strong><a href="http://healthland.time.com/2010/11/11/why-americans-are-among-the-most-sleepless-people-in-the-world/" target="_blank">Why Americans Are Among the Most Sleepless People in the World</a>asifferlin

Soak in the Morning Sun

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<br>On Sunday, eat breakfast near a window or take an early walk outdoors. Bright light exposure in the morning helps regulate the body's internal 24-hour clock and sleep-wake cycle, including the timely production of melatonin, the nighttime hormone that signals to the body that it's bedtime. By getting sun in early, your alertness peaks when it counts and you will be appropriately sleepy by nightfall.<br><br><br><br>Bright light exposure is also used in light therapy as a natural antidepressant and sleep supplement. “But you don’t need an expensive light bulb. We are designed to respond to sunshine. It is well suited to act as an energy boost,” says Dr. Michael Twery, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health.<br><br><br><br><strong>MORE: <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2011/03/12/is-daylight-saving-time-bad-for-your-health/#e006439" target="_blank">Is Daylight Saving Time Bad for Your Health?</a></strong>asifferlin

Go To Bed Only When You're Sleepy

<br>If you're not tired, don’t force it. Tossing and turning will only cause sleep anxiety. “I always tell my patients, if you have rolled over three times and stared at the ceiling three times, that’s too much,” says Dr. Kumar.<br><br><br><br>According to a 2008 <a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6793/8/3">study</a> published in the online journal <em>BMC Physiology</em>, the transition into Daylight Saving Time can enhance restlessness at night:<br><br><blockquote>The transition into DST affected more those with the preference to evening activities. This may have been due to the longer exposure to light in the evening which is known to delay the phase position of the circadian rhythms and their subsidiary rest-activity cycles.</blockquote><br><br>If you're a natural night owl, try unwinding at night by darkening the house and reading a book or listening to calm music — but don’t do it in bed. “Use your bed only for sleeping. If you can’t sleep, go do something else then come back,” says Dr. Twery. When we hop in bed with a book, our brain starts associating our bedroom with activities that keep us alert. “Once it becomes a habit, it can be hard to quit,” says Dr. Twery. “We want our brain to know that when we get in bed we want to go to sleep, and not do anything else.”<br><br><br><br><strong>MORE: <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/27/cant-sleep-it-may-help-to-get-out-of-bed/" target="_blank">Can't Sleep? It May Help to Get Out of Bed</a></strong>asifferlin

Don't Exercise Right Before Bed

<br>Exercising is great for your health, but timing is key. Exercising sporadically or right before bed makes sleeping more difficult. Our body temperature rises during exercise, and can take as long as six hours to drop. Decreases in body temperature <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/health/04real.html" target="_blank">help initiate sleep</a>, so it is important to let your body cool down before bed.<br><br><br><br>The National Sleep Foundation <a href="http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/diet-exercise-and-sleep">recommends</a> late afternoon exercise or finishing your workout at least three hours before bedtime. "Strenuous exercise pre-bedtime is something our body responds to and it can effect our natural rhythms," says Twery. "Keeping a regular workout schedule should help you sleep better all week, not just when there is a time change."<br><br><br><br><strong>MORE: <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/17/tip-for-insomniacs-cool-your-head-to-fall-asleep/" target="_blank">Tip for Insomniacs: Cool Your Head to Fall Asleep</a></strong>asifferlin

Unplug

<br>Watching late-night TV and checking Facebook won’t help you catch z’s any earlier on Saturday night. “The blue light from the screens has an alerting effect. Even if the show you are watching is boring, your brain cells are now awake,” says Dr. Kumar.<br><br><br><br>While bright light exposure in the morning helps regulate your circadian rhythm, in the evening, it <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/27/tv-video-games-at-night-may-cause-sleep-problems-in-kids/" target="_blank">compromises the process</a>. According to Dr. Twery, bright light in the evening suppresses secretion of the naturally sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and interferes with other bodily processes. “Get rid of all extraneous lighting in your room — especially lights from your electronics. Keep your room dark,” says Twery.<br><br><br><br>According to a 2011 study from the National Sleep Foundation, 95% of polled participants reported using devices with bright screens before bed and 60% of them reported having sleep-related problems such as snoring or still feeling tired in the morning. Study author Dr. Charles Czeisler said <a title="in a statement" href="http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/press-release/annual-sleep-america-poll-exploring-connections-communications-technology-use-" target="_blank">in a statement</a>:<br><br><blockquote>This study reveals that light-emitting screens are in heavy use within the pivotal hour before sleep. Invasion of such alerting technologies into the bedroom may contribute to the high proportion of respondents who reported that they routinely get less sleep than they need.</blockquote><br><br><strong>MORE: <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2010/10/12/could-late-night-exposure-to-light-be-making-you-fat/" target="_blank">Could Late-Night Exposure to Light Be Making You Fat?</a></strong>asifferlin

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