A Hillcrest sleep medicine expert explains how the fall time change affects your body.
Daylight saving time ended Sunday, Nov. 1, giving people an extra hour when clocks fell back. While the time change can be a welcome opportunity to catch up on sleep, it can also affect the body’s internal clock and daily routines.
Dr. Michael Newnam, director of sleep medicine at Hillcrest, spoke with News On 6’s LeAnne Taylor about how sleep affects overall health and what people can do to get better rest.
Here are six things to know about daylight saving time and your sleep.
1. The time change can affect your body and mind
Even a one-hour shift can affect the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, known as the circadian rhythm.
Newnam said the body is naturally programmed to sleep at night and remain awake and productive during the day. Changes to that schedule can have physical, mental and cognitive effects.
“It is in your head, but it’s for real. Circadian rhythm is real, and we are supposed to be asleep during certain times,” Newnam said.
2. Irregular sleep schedules can carry health risks
People who work overnight shifts or other nontraditional schedules may have difficulty maintaining a consistent sleep routine.
Newnam said some shift workers switch back to a traditional nighttime sleep schedule when they are off work, forcing their bodies to adjust repeatedly.
He said research has documented health risks associated with working at night and disrupting the body’s natural sleep schedule.
“It’s actually, the science is pretty well proven that if you try to cheat Mother Nature and you don’t sleep at night, that there are some health ramifications, everything from diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and it’s well documented in shift workers and has been for some time,” Newnam said.
3. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep
The amount of sleep a person needs varies by age.
Newnam said newborns can sleep 18 hours or more a day as they grow and develop. For adults, the recommended amount is seven to nine hours each night.
However, he said many of the patients he sees struggle to get enough rest.
“In my practice, unfortunately, I rarely see people getting even that minimum of seven hours,” Newnam said.
The extra hour from the time change could provide an opportunity to reevaluate sleep habits and prioritize getting enough rest.
4. The stage of sleep you wake up in matters
Getting enough hours of sleep does not always mean you will wake up feeling refreshed.
Newnam explained that sleep occurs in different stages, and the amount of deep sleep a person gets can affect how rested they feel.
The stage of sleep a person is in when an alarm goes off can also influence how easily they wake up.
“If you’re in very deep sleep and your alarm goes off, you’re going to feel this, what we call sleep inertia, where it’s just hard to get going,” Newnam said.
Sleep inertia can leave people feeling groggy and struggling to get out of bed, even after spending what seems like enough time asleep.
5. Screens and caffeine can interfere with sleep
Artificial light from phones and other electronic devices can interfere with the body’s natural signals for sleep.
Newnam said melatonin production is one of the main cues that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Exposure to artificial light can suppress or delay that process, making it harder to fall asleep at the right time.
“In the modern era, it doesn’t get dark until we make it dark,” Newnam said.
Caffeine can also make it harder to fall asleep, even for people who regularly consume it and no longer notice its stimulating effects.
“You don’t feel like you’re wired or buzzy, but it’s a great sleep preventer,” Newnam said.
He said reviewing caffeine consumption and other daily habits can be an important step for people who struggle with sleep.
6. Use the time change to reset your sleep routine
Newnam said the end of daylight saving time can be an opportunity to establish healthier sleep habits.
As the days get shorter and darkness arrives earlier, he encouraged people to pay attention to their body’s natural cues and avoid staying up too late.
He also recommended unplugging from electronics before bed and being mindful of caffeine consumption.
His advice for the time change is to stick with your normal bedtime and take advantage of the extra hour.
“And just go to bed at your normal time and you’ll just get that extra hour and hopefully reset your time schedule,” Newnam said.
This story was written by KOTV’s LeAnne Taylor and Brooke Cox You can view the full story online here.