How to adjust to the fall time change

On November 1, 2024By Littum

Use summer time as an opportunity to cope with the time change, practice healthy habits and … (+) sleep better at night.

AFP via Getty Images

This Sunday the clocks roll back one hour from 02:00 a.m., marking the end of daylight saving time in 2024. Daylight saving time is a 238-day event covering spring, summer, and half of fall. It is the practice to change the clocks to extend and make more use of the daylight so that darkness begins later. Here’s how it works:

Spring summer time “Spring forward”: The clocks are set forward one hour at 2 the second Sunday in March. We lose an hour of sleep for more daylight and shorter night hours.

Autumn summer time “Fall back”: The clocks are set back one hour at 02.00 on the first Sunday in November. We get one hour of sleep for shorter daylight hours and longer night hours.

How the time change affects sleep

Adjusting our clocks forward one hour might not seem like a big deal, but experts have explained that the time change can affect the circadian rhythm, the internal clock that helps control sleep and other biological processes. When circadian rhythms change, it can affect our sleep/wake cycles and pose serious challenges to sleep, including sleep loss and severe mood swings. ONE lack of sleep can cause problems with learning, focusing and reacting. While fewer negative health effects are associated with DST, people still often feel tired and fatigued after the clock changes, the Sleep Foundation explains, so getting an hour of sleep may not result in better rest or erase our sleep debt after a night.

*Sleep debt is the cumulative effect of insufficient sleep over days or weeks. It affects those with chronic sleep deprivation, insomnia or suffering from a sleep disorder.

President Richard Nixon signs the Daylight Savings Act at the White House in Washington in December … (+) 15, 1973. He is watched by Representative Normal Lent, who pushed the bill through the House.

Getty Images

Preparation now can help us transition well and avoid potential disruptions in the fall daylight savings time. Some helpful tips include considering mindfulness techniques, improving sleep hygiene, and reducing sleep disturbances. But we also need to investigate and research what works best for us. It will take a targeted approach to achieve quality sleep and improve overall health.

Why the time change affects your sleep

Although the fall time change may not disturb sleep as much, it can still affect sleep habits. Seasonal time changes, whether in fall or spring, have always affected sleep quality, although fall’s daylight saving time is an easier transition. There is increasing pressure from scientists and health professionals to eliminate seasonal time changes in favor of permanent standard time, as this best aligns with human circadian biology. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) stated that the human biological clock is the cause summer time affects sleep. In an article published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the AASM explains that the timing of light and dark, which dictates sleep and wake rhythms, regulates the human biological clock. “DST can cause misalignment between the biological and environmental clocks, resulting in significant health and public safety-related problems, particularly in the days immediately following the annual change to daylight saving time.” Most of the United States observes daylight saving time. Therefore, it will take a lot of effort to eliminate seasonal time changes.

Why the time change causes more sleep problems

The Sleep Foundation explains that many people feel refreshed and more alert during the fall summer time. Still, some people, especially those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression usually associated with shorter days and less sunlight in the fall and winter, may struggle more with sleep. There is a strong correlation between SAD and various factors, such as abnormal sleep, circadian rhythms and insufficient exposure to sunlight. Therefore, choosing the best treatment for you is the first step in dealing with SAD this season. ONE new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders revealed that phototherapy (light therapy) was significantly more effective than other intervention groups or control therapies such as antidepressants, cognitive behavioral therapy and negative ion generators. Further research is needed to assess the long-term effectiveness and safety of different treatment methods for SAD.

Autumn Summer time 2024 is just around the corner. Let’s use this opportunity to cope with the time change, practice healthy habits and sleep better at night.