Tips for better sleep during the daylight saving time transition

During the winter months, it’s dark when we wake up in the morning and dark when we go to bed at night. In summer, the sun shines from morning until bedtime.

Adjusting to these changes can be a challenge for people who don’t sleep well, and it can be especially difficult twice each year: when we change from standard to daylight saving time, and when we move the clocks back to standard time.

To prepare our bodies for these time changes, the first thing we should do is make sure we’re practicing good sleep hygiene.

• Go to bed and wake up at the same times each day. Also aim to eat meals at consistent times.
• Remove electronics from the bedroom, and use the bedroom for sleep only. Don’t use cellphones, tablets, computers or televisions while in bed.
• Keep bedrooms cool, dark and quiet. The optimal bedroom temperature is between 62 and 68 degrees. You can wear socks to keep your feet warm to allow your core body temperature to drop without being uncomfortable.
• Avoid naps if you can. If you have to take a nap, it should be no more than 20 to 30 minutes.
• Exercise. It’s ideal to work out in the morning or early afternoon. Working out in the evening is OK if it doesn’t impact your ability to fall asleep.
• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep for optimal performance.

The end of daylight saving time in the fall is an easier adjustment

It’s more difficult to advance our sleep clock in March than to delay our sleep clock when daylight saving time ends.

That’s because it’s harder for our bodies to adjust to going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. It’s much easier to force yourself to stay awake an extra hour and naturally sleep in.

Standard time also better aligns with the human circadian rhythms, because it’s more natural to get bright light in the morning and darker light at night, when we’re falling asleep. Standard time is more conducive to sleep, mental wellness and cardiovascular health.

Adjusting to changes during daylight saving time transitions

The key to coping with the time change is adjusting exposure to natural light, which helps our internal clock function properly.

In March, try to avoid evening light for several days before and after the clocks move forward. This will help your body naturally acclimate to going to bed a little bit earlier. In the early morning hours, make sure you're getting bright light, which will enhance your body’s natural tendency to advance your internal clock with the time.

In November, try to stay awake a little later in the evening in the days leading up to the time change. If it’s hard to stay up late, bright lighting can help. Keep it dark in your bedroom until you’re ready to wake up to ensure you’re able to sleep in that extra hour.

In general, the body will adapt to time changes by about an hour every day or two.

Once that happens, continue practicing good sleep hygiene and try to expose yourself to natural light in the morning and use less artificial light in the evening.