Sleepy today? How to adjust to Daylight Saving Time

If you’re feeling a tad tired today, you’re not alone. A few nights ago, Americans in every state but Arizona and Hawaii lost an hour of sleep when they moved their clocks ahead for Daylight Saving Time (DST), a practice designed to extend daylight hours into the evening through the summer.

One hour might not sound like much, but shifting the clock can have consequences beyond feeling groggy. Statistics show DST is associated with a short-term increase in traffic accidents and an increased risk of cardiovascular events and mood disturbances. “DST is a bear,” said Nancy Stewart, D.O., assistant professor in the Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

Stewart noted that one in three American adults do not get enough sleep, but sleep regularity — how consistent a person is with sleep and wake times — may be at least as important. A study in the United Kingdom found that people with less regular sleep patterns have a higher risk of premature mortality, and that sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration. DST can affect sleep regularity by disrupting the body’s circadian rhythm, the internal clock that helps set our sleep-wake schedule.

Catherine Siengsukon, Ph.D., director of the Sleep, Health and Wellness Laboratory at KU Medical Center and a professor in KU School of Health Professions, compared adjusting to DST to adjusting to jet lag. Ideally, people can prepare by going to bed 10 to 15 minutes earlier and waking up 10 to 15 minutes earlier for several nights before DST begins. “But that’s not possible or liked by most people, so most people shift or ‘spring forward’ the one hour of DST at one time,” she said.

Here are some tips Siengsukon and Stewart offered for adjusting to DST and for maintaining a consistent circadian rhythm:

• When you wake up at the new “spring forward” time, expose yourself to bright light — ideally the sun, but if the sun is not up, turn on the lights.
• Keep this new regular wake-up time even if you have the opportunity to sleep in. Regular wake-up times with exposure to bright light will help your circadian rhythm adjust to the shift.
• Avoid taking a nap if you can, though you can take a short nap for safety purposes, such as if you will be driving or using heavy equipment.
• Try to expose yourself to light and activity all throughout the day to help reduce daytime sleepiness.
• In the evening, wait to go to bed until you are adequately sleepy. With the earlier wake-up time, you may be sleepy enough to fall asleep relatively easily at the new DST bedtime. But if bedtime rolls around and you are not feeling sleepy, then wait.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine to cue the brain that the bed and sleep come next.
• Try to avoid extra caffeine, which can make it hard to fall asleep at night.
• Limit alcohol, exercise and use of electronics for one to two hours before going to bed.
• Optimize your sleep environment by keeping the room cool and dark (consider black-out curtains).