SAVINGS ACCOUNT
How will Daylight Savings Time affect your sleep?
Every autumn, clocks get pushed ahead one hour. So, if you already have sleep issues, will this help you or hurt you? And if you don't have sleep issues, will changing the clock create some?
According to a report on Healthday.com, featuring an interview with Ralph Downey III, the medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Loma Linda University Medical Center, California, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, that single-hour difference can make a difference in how you sleep.
"The change in time is only an hour, but it's the change in light that makes a difference in how people feel," explained Downey. "An hour shift doesn't seem like a whole lot, but it's as if you're behind the curve an hour a day until you get adjusted," he added. "It can influence your mood, your ability to get things done and your ability to concentrate." That one-hour change has, for example, been found to make people more prone to driving accidents.
In the same report, Dr. Jose Loredo, director of the Sleep Medicine Center at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, noted that the change to daylight savings time can cause significant sleep problems, especially for those who suffer from insomnia.
The key to adjusting to DST is exposure to sunlight, Dr. Loredo said. "We can actually change our internal clock backward or forward depending on the exposure to light. The change isn't immediate, it takes some time," which is why he suggests gradually adjusting your sleep schedule and being exposed to bright light in the morning. He also suggests that a small dose of melatonin at 5pm or 6pm might help advance your internal clock. Do consult your doctor before doing this, however.
The University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center offers these tips:
-Starting a few days before the time shift, start heading to bed a little earlier each night—even 15 minutes earlier for three days can start to make a difference
-Set your alarm clock for 15 minutes earlier
-Set your clock ahead one hour before you go to bed Saturday, and wake upat your "regular" time on Sunday morning; don't sleep in just because the clocks have changed
The National Sleep Foundation adds that you should "take a nap in the afternoon on Sunday if you need it, but not within a few hours of your regular bedtime. Napping too close to bedtime can disrupt nighttime sleep."
Other tips for when you wake up Sunday, according to David Glass, PhD, professor of biological sciences at Kent State University, include taking a morning walk outside, trying to get some vigorous exercise midday, and spending at least an hour outside in the sunlight.
More advice comes from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine:
-Re-adjust your mealtime schedule by eating dinner an hour earlier
-Be careful when operating machinery or driving on the day of the time change
-Avoid turning to caffeine to wake you up in the morning and alcohol at night to help you sleep
-Maintain a lighter schedule on the Monday after the time change; try to minimize driving and avoid strenuous activities
-Eat properly, drink lots of water and remain physically active