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On Sunday, November 2, we make the annual autumn switch from daylight savings time to standard time by shifting the clocks back an hour—a change that promises an extra hour of sleep. But the truth is, our bodies don’t always get the memo.
“Our sleep, hormones such as melatonin, and alertness all follow circadian rhythms that thrive on routine,” Rebecca Robbins, PhD, a sleep scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and sleep expert at Oura Ring, tells SELF. Resetting the clocks by an hour (even to allow more sleep) can toss everything off-kilter, leaving you less well-rested than you’d think.
In fact, a 2013 paper published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that for five days following the autumn time change, people woke up earlier than they planned—for instance, at the time that would’ve been 7 a.m. before the time change but is actually 6 a.m. after—leading to “a net loss of sleep across the week.” It just goes to show that even when we make a clock change that should offer us more snooze time, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to take advantage of it, Chris Winter, MD, a neurologist and sleep specialist who works with Natrol, and owner of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine clinic, tells SELF.
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You can think of the effects of the seasonal time shift much like jet lag, Dr. Winter points out. Gaining an hour is the equivalent of traveling west one time zone, and while that’s generally easier on the body than heading east (and losing an hour), it can still mess up your sleep and leave you exhausted and out of it for a few days. (Consider how you might find yourself waking up at 4 a.m. Los Angeles time if you arrived there from New York the day prior.)
Studies also suggest that when your circadian rhythm is disrupted, your mental health may take a bit of a hit, Kyle Baird, DO, associate director of the psychiatry residency program at the University of Colorado, tells SELF. In particular, you may be more likely to have mood swings, memory problems, attention issues, and slower reaction times.
The good news is, the health effects of the time change are usually short-lived, and most people will be able to bounce back within a few days. If you know you tend to struggle and you have a bit of wiggle room when it comes to your sleep schedule, Dr. Winter suggests gradually pushing back your sleep and wake times by, say, 15 minutes for three or four days leading up to the transition, so that by the time we fall back, your body has already been adjusting and you’re better positioned to take advantage of the extra sleep time.
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You can also help reset your body clock by getting outside into the natural light first-thing Sunday morning, Dr. Robbins says. Even better if you can couple that with a brisk walk.
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Dr. Robbins and Dr. Winter also emphasize sticking to consistent sleep and wake times as much as possible in the days after the transition to resync yourself. “The biggest mistake people make is, the time change throws them off and they start going rogue with their sleep schedule as a result. For instance, they struggle to sleep one night, so they choose to take a three-hour nap the next afternoon,” Dr. Winter says. Avoiding this kind of off-schedule sleeping is best for keeping your circadian rhythm humming along smoothly.
At the same time, take extra care to abide by typical good-sleep habits: Steer clear of alcohol before bed, go easy on the caffeine, and turn off your screens well before your bedtime so you can prime your body for deeper rest, Dr. Baird says.
And one final tip? Try not to stress about it too much, Dr. Winter says. Worrying and restful sleep don’t exactly go hand-in-hand. Remember: This shift is essentially like flying from Atlanta to Dallas—an hour time change backward. It also moves us to the time schedule that research suggests is actually healthiest (hence the campaign among sleep experts to make standard time permanent in the US). “It allows for morning light and for the sun to set at a time that will facilitate melatonin production and sufficient sleep for many of us who have fixed wake times,” Dr. Robbins explains. So while the first few days may be a bit of a slog, you might just find the new time schedule helps you rest easier in the weeks to come.