I went to bed on Saturday night and it was still fall. When I woke up on Sunday, it felt like the winter was barrelling toward me because it was going to get dark before dinner and I was waking up an hour earlier than I am used to. Daylight Savings Time (whether you like it or not) is one of the parts of our yearly life we have to deal with. Once during the year we spring forward and we lose an hour of sleep. The other time of the year, like this past weekend, we fall back and gain an hour of sleep. As you can imagine, changing the hours of the day can destory your rythym, and that can throw off your routine and cause you to fall into a slump. If this sounds like you, I got some help from Dr. Bonnie Mitchell, Clinical Director at The Mental Health and Stabilization Center of Sacramento to get me back on track.
Here is what she sent me and what can help you too.
What is it about the time change that messes with our rhythm?
I am no doctor. I won’t even pretend to understand why the time on the clock messes with my sleep, my mood, and my motivation at work. But, Dr. Mitchell will absolutely explain it for us.
“Our bodies run on an internal master clock located in the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which relies on environmental cues, primarily natural light, to regulate cortisol. When we shift the clock by an hour overnight, we create circadian desynchrony (essentially mild jet lag). Even though an hour sounds like a minor adjustment, this lack of light exposure instantly desynchronizes our natural rhythm. Waking up in pitch darkness or getting sudden evening light shifts the release timing of melatonin, causing evening brain fog or midnight insomnia. Organs like your stomach and liver have their own peripheral circadian clocks triggered by meal times. Shifting wake times creates a mismatch between central brain signals and metabolic function, leading to sluggishness and gastrointestinal disruption.”
Tips to get back on track?
Ok, enough of the what and why. Dr. Mitchell gives us some tips on how to get ourselves back on track.
“If the time change has already thrown off your sleep schedule, it is best to focus on anchoring your internal clock using light, food, and timing.
- Get morning sunlight immediately: Within 30 minutes of waking, step outside without sunglasses for 10 minutes. Bright outdoor light suppresses lingering melatonin and signals the SCN to start the wakefulness timer.
- Lock in a strict meal schedule: Eat breakfast and dinner at your target regular hours. Digestion acts as a secondary circadian anchor, and consistent meal times signal your body that the day’s routine is underway.
- Stop caffeine by 12:00 PM: Caffeine has a half-life of 5 to 7 hours. Cutting it off by early afternoon allows adenosine (the chemical that builds sleep pressure) to accumulate naturally by bedtime.
- Dim lights 90 minutes before bed: Artificial overhead lighting tricks the brain into thinking it’s still daytime. Switch to warm, low-level lamps and turn down screen brightness in the evening.”
Are these reversible when the time changes again?
Now that you are back on track and killing the fall, what about the time change in the Spring? Is there a way to reverse all of this and make it work for us in the spring when the clock jumps forward an hour instead?
“Circadian desynchrony is temporary and completely reversible. The body naturally resynchronizes at a rate of roughly 1 hour per day, meaning most healthy adults adapt fully within 3 to 7 days. However, the directional shift makes a difference. “Fall Back” (Standard
Time) is generally easier to adjust to because gaining an hour aligns closer to our natural biological preference to drift slightly past 24 hours. “Spring Forward” (Daylight Saving Time) tends to be harder on the system because losing an hour requires advancing the circadian
phase, which causes a brief spike in cardiovascular strain and sleep debt.”
Are there things I can do to avoid getting off track in the first place?
But really, getting off track is unavoidbable if you’re unprepared for it and it is unexpected. But this isn’t unexpected, we have been experiencing this our entire lives. So, how do we avoid falling off track and what can we do to prevent this in the future?
“The key to preventing the shift is pre-adaptation by gradually shifting your schedule during the days leading up to the clock change. Starting 4 days before the time change, move your bedtime, wake time, and meals 15 minutes earlier (in spring) or 15 minutes later (in fall) each day. Preset your environment the night before the time change by adjusting clocks and set out your morning routine before going to sleep so you wake up mentally aligned with the new schedule. Napping for more than 20 minutes during the transition period drains your nighttime sleep drive, compounding sleep debt into the workweek.”
The days are shorter. The nights are longer. It means you have to adjust your routine to help you get the best out of the season. Dr. Mitchell is here to help.
