Feeling the effects of the time change? We asked the experts how they can bounce back
Clock changes can Talk about a loop. Even a one-hour shift, as happened in most of the US on Sunday, can leave you feeling happy and out of sync with the days. That’s because your body’s internal clock – trusts your ancient rhythm with sunlight, meal times, and strict routine. When the season doubles – the season changes, it disrupts that rhythm and leaves your body playing catch-up.
The good news is that with a few simple habits, you can help your body bounce back faster and reset your sleep schedule naturally after the time change. Follow these tips to get back into the groove and start feeling like yourself after those turned back clocks.
What is daylight saving time?
In the US, most of the country switches between daylight saving time and daylight saving time (DST) in November and March. Standard time is the “regular” clock time used in fall and winter, while DST is a one-hour change in spring and summer that changes daylight hours from dusk to dusk.
Every year, the clocks spring forward one hour in March, and we lose an hour of sleep. The clocks then went back to November, giving us that hour back. The idea is to maximize daylight hours for work and play in the warmer months.
Daylight saving time began during World War I as a way to save energy. More light in the early evening meant less need for artificial lighting, which was short lived at the time. It was also thought to help farmers by giving them daylight in the evening. However, since farm work follows the sun, not the clock, it just makes its own manipulative schedules.
More than a century later, most Americans still follow the same tradition. Exceptions include Hawaii and most of Arizona, where there are plenty of daylight hours and the desert heat makes the weather more of a nuisance than a help.
Why time changes mess with your body clock
We tend to focus on how long we sleep, but flexibility is just as important, says Rebecca Robbins, a sleep researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “It’s just as important as bedtime, if not more, the flexibility of sleep schedules,” she says. “A change in one hour can be enough to throw off our inner cycle.”
Your Circlian rhythm relies on CICES such as lights, food and routine. Light is ultra-important here, as it suppresses melatonin, the hormone that tells your brain it’s time to sleep. As the days shift, so do your hormones.
That rhythm drives more than exhaustion. It controls digestion, awareness, emotions, and even bodily reactions. The further you go, the more you force your body clock out of sync with your environment. The fall back is mild, since an extra hour of sleep and morning light often helps your rhythm to prepare more easily.
The health costs of sleep loss
The effect of the time change can be seen almost immediately. “Car Accidents, Heart Attacks, Heart Attacks, Emotional Disorders – All These Things tend to last all the time to have daylight saving time,” said the neurologist and sleep specialist W. A study from the University of Colorado found that fatal car crashes in the US spike by six percent in the week following the Spreet Shift.
Most Americans are already running on sleep deprivation. “Only 30 percent of Americans report meeting their natural need for sleep,” Robbins said. The lost hour covers that bill.
