Health

How To Adjust Your Sleep Cycle For Daylight Saving Time

Low-Allergen Landscaping For Your Yard

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The change to daylight saving time can wreak havoc on some people’s sleep cycles.

The yearly weekends that we "fall back" and "spring forward" can throw off natural body rhythms, including sleep cycles and eating schedules. That can make it hard to adjust to the new time, especially for babies and kids. Pets notice, too.

The spring time change messes with sleep cycles more than the fall.

JERSEY CITY, NJ - OCTOBER 25: The sun rises behind the Empire State Building, One Vanderbilt, and the under-construction headquarters for JPMorgan Chase in New York City and the Hoboken Lackawanna Clock Tower on October 25, 2023, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images) — The sun rises behind the Empire State Building and the Hoboken Lackawanna Clock Tower on Oct. 25, 2023, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey.
(Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, or AASM, says there are some steps you can take to make the transition smoother on either end:

-Slowly adjust sleep and wake times. Shift your bedtime 15 to 20 minutes earlier each night for a few nights before springing forward, or 15 to 20 minutes later each night for a few nights before falling back.

-Shift mealtimes and other daily routines to line up with the adjusted sleep cycle before the time changes.

-Got to bed at your normal time Saturday night and shift all the clocks in your house before doing so.

-Wake up at your normal time Sunday and make sure to get plenty of sleep that night, too.

-Similar advice applies to pets, including gradually changing meal times and walk schedules.

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/home-living/daylight-savings-time-affect-dog

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