Does Fall Back mean Sleep Gain?

It’s that time of year again! The clocks fall back, it gets a bit colder outside, and the holidays are approaching. With the clocks falling back, we get an extra hour in the day! This year, daylight savings falls on Sunday, November 3^rd. Sometimes, gaining an extra hour can cause you to get some additional sleep, however can cause your sleep schedule to be a bit off. This adjustment can be hard for some when it comes to eating meals on time, going into work, or getting to bed at a time that may not feel normal to you just yet. Luckily, we’ve come up with a few tips on the best ways to deal with the time change.

Stick to your schedule

Finding a sleep schedule that works for you and sticking to it vital, especially when there are some changes that you cannot control. While we gain an hour, stick to your normal wake up time the morning of the time change. It may be a struggle to not take advantage of that extra bit of sleep but sticking to your already set schedule will help you to keep up your productivity for the rest of the day. Don’t allow yourself to stray too far away from that normal schedule! Going crazy and staying up an extra few hours because you will gain an hour may seem like a good idea at the time, but you may regret it the next day when you are feeling sleepy and sluggish. This also goes for sticking to the same bed time that you normally would.

Skip out on the nap

As tempting as it may be, try to skip out on shutting your eyes mid-day, especially if its for an extended period of time. It will just make it that much harder to fall asleep that night, especially with the new time difference.

 Prepare for the new schedule

As fall back approaches, try to go to bed 15-20 min earlier than normal each night. Within a few days of doing this, you should be adjusted to the new time schedule as your internal clock is able to catch up to the change. Even if you can’t get yourself to fall asleep earlier than normal, try to get into bed earlier to prepare for the changes. This goes along with waking up in the morning. If you can try to get 15-20 min extra of sleep, allowing your body to again adjust to the difference.

While a change in schedule can be difficult to adjust to, following your normal schedule and making minor adjustments can ensure that your internal clock won’t stray too far away from your norm.

Sources:

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/reason-daylight-savings-time-can-give-you-jet-lag