Re-Adjusting Your Sleep Schedule And Planning Ahead Will Minimize The Burden Of An Hour Of Sleep Loss With The Upcoming Time Change

Main Category: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
Article Date: 20 Feb 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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March 9 marks the return of Daylight-Saving Time (DST) to many parts of the United States. This is the one day of the year when, because we move the clocks ahead one hour, people will lose an extra hour of sleep. While this can potentially exacerbate the nightly sleep struggles of so many Americans by accumulating to their existing sleep debt, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) notes that the impact of an hour of sleep loss will be minimal if one plans ahead and adheres to some simple steps for adjusting to the new time.

Ron Kramer, MD, medical director of the Colorado Sleep Disorders Center in Englewood, Colo., says that the return of DST is a good time to examine one's individual sleep patterns and behaviors since good sleep patterns, like a good diet and an exercise program, is basic to maximizing one's health.

"The conversion to DST, with its forced loss of one hour of sleep and a change in sleep schedule, can sometimes result in complaints of disrupted daytime functioning," says Dr. Kramer. "This problem, surprisingly, can last as long as one to two weeks in some people, especially in the 'night-owl' type of person."

Although the time change involves only an hour loss, researchers have found that the disruption in sleep patterns associated with setting the clock forward correlates with an increase in the number of traffic accidents and lost productivity as sleep disrupted workers adjust to the schedule change.

Lawrence Epstein, MD, medical director of Sleep HealthCenters in Brighton, Mass., agrees, saying that sleep deprivation reduces job performance, ability to pay attention and learning. He says adjusting your circadian rhythm to a new schedule in order to avoid sleep deprivation requires planning.

"Whether losing an hour due to daylight savings or dealing with jet lag from crossing time zones, you should plan your new sleep schedule to allow time for your body to adjust to the new schedule," said Epstein. "Anticipating change and preparing a new schedule can prevent developing the ill effects of a time schedule change."

Circadian rhythms, or our internal body clocks, are the patterns of repeated activity associated with the environmental cycles of day and night. People who have trouble sleeping may have an internal clock that has become out of sync with the day-night cycle.

More than 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder. Studies have linked poor sleep to serious health issues such as depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The AASM offers the following tips to help people better cope to the upcoming time change:

- Begin to re-adjust your sleep schedule a few days prior to the time change by going to bed an hour earlier.
- Re-adjust your eating schedule by having dinner an hour earlier.
- Be careful when driving or operating machinery on the day of the time change.
- Avoid napping, particularly before bedtime.
- Avoid caffeine in the morning to wake you up and alcohol at night to help you go to sleep.
- Keep a light schedule on the Monday after the time change. This involves minimizing driving and avoiding strenuous physical activities.
- Eat properly, stay well hydrated and remain physically active.

According to Dr. Kramer, even if the change to DST is not a big problem for you or others you know, nobody should feel that having bad sleep or daytime sleepiness on a chronic basis (for over two weeks or more) is something that "they just have to live with."

"Seeking medical advice for sleep problems with your primary physician should be your first step," says Dr. Kramer. "Referral to a physician certified in sleep medicine or to an AASM certified sleep laboratory may be necessary."

AASM is a professional membership organization dedicated to the advancement of sleep medicine and sleep-related research.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine