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Springing forward: Tips for managing the daylight savings time change

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This weekend we are springing forward and ‘losing’ an hour of sleep.

Adjusting to a one-hour time change shouldn’t take more than a day or so for a regularly well-rested person. But, since studies show that as a society we are already sleep deprived, an hour of our time in bed is not really a sacrifice many of us can afford to make. Those who routinely sleep six hours a night, have very early wake up times for work (6:00 AM or earlier), and teenagers already battling their biological tendency to sleep late will be hardest hit by this weekend’s time change.

While there’s no quick magic solution for adjusting to this time change, there are a few things you can do to make sure the effects of this circadian disruption are minimized by Monday morning:

  • Start early! Adjust your bedtime by 15 minutes starting Thursday night.
  • Set all your clocks forward one hour early Saturday evening, then have dinner and go to bed based on those clocks.
  • Avoid incurring any or additional sleep debt caused by staying up late on the weekend.
  • Wake up on Sunday morning, get some exercise, and get outside early in the day for some daylight exposure.
  • On Sunday evening, dim the lights and close the blinds to send signals to your brain that night time is coming. Grab a warm shower before bed and relax with a book (don’t stare at your TV or mobile device) or listen to music or podcast.

For those who have a harder time with the adjustment, keep up with the above tips for a few days and:

  • Be cautious about performing any safety sensitive work and while driving or cycling
  • Even if you don’t do dangerous work, fatigue may affect your cognitive ability – be extra diligent in your work projects and decision making

If you prioritize getting adjusted quickly, the effects of the time change should be short lived. In the meantime, grab that extra cup of coffee on Monday – but be sure to cut it out after noon – you don’t want any caffeine running through your system when you are trying to fall asleep a little earlier than you are used to.

Springing forward: How to deal with the daylight savings time change

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This weekend we are springing forward and ‘losing’ an hour of sleep.

Adjusting to a one-hour time change shouldn’t take more than a day or so to an otherwise sufficiently rested person. But, since studies show that as a society we are already sleep deprived, an hour of our time in bed is not really a sacrifice many of us can afford to make. Those who routinely sleep six hours a night, have very early wake up times for work (6:00 AM or earlier), and teenagers already battling their biological tendency to sleep late will be hardest hit by this weekend’s time change.

Unfortunately, there is no quick magic solution for adjusting to this time change, but there are a few things you can do to make sure the effects of this circadian disruption are minimized for Monday morning:

  • Start early! Set all your clocks forward one hour early on Saturday evening, and have dinner and go to bed based on those clocks.
  • Avoid incurring any or additional sleep debt caused by staying up late on the weekend.
  • Wake up on Sunday morning, get some exercise, and get outside early in the day for some daylight exposure.
  • On Sunday evening, dim the lights and close the blinds to send signals to your brain that night time is coming. Grab a warm shower before bed and relax with a book (don’t stare at your TV or mobile device) or listen to music or podcast.

For those having a harder time with the adjustment, keep up with these tips for a few days and:

  • Be cautious about performing any safety sensitive work and while driving or cycling
  • Even if you don’t do dangerous work, fatigue may affect your cognitive ability – be extra diligent in your work projects and decision making

If you prioritize getting adjusted quickly, the effects of the time change should be short lived. In the meantime, grab that extra cup of coffee on Monday – but be sure to cut it out after noon – you don’t want any caffeine running through your system when you are trying to fall asleep a little earlier than you are used to.

Global BC News: What effect does daylight savings time have on your body?

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Global BC news visited with Fatigue Science CEO, Sean Kerklaan, to learn more about the effects of daylight savings and why everyone should take advantage of the extra hour of sleep during the Fall time change.

There’s well-established evidence to suggest that when we set our clocks forward in the spring, that lost hour of sleep increases the number of car accidents even heart attacks the next day. But, the fall time change makes things more dangerous for pedestrians who are now leaving work in the dark. An American study found pedestrians were three times more likely to be fatally struck than prior to the fall time change. Daylight Saving Time can actually have an effect on our sleep patterns for up to a week. So when the clocks roll back tonight, don’t stay up late even if tempted – instead do the opposite take advantage of the extra sleep and do your body a favour.

The Province: What will you do with that extra hour this weekend?

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Ahead of this past weekend’s time change, The Province polled their readers to ask: “What will you do with that extra hour this weekend?” Glenda Luymes writes:

Fifteen per cent said they would sleep. That’s a choice endorsed by Vancouver Canucks sleep consultant Pat Byrne.

When asked by The Province how many hours of sleep we should be getting, Byrne immediately answered: “How well do you want to perform?”.  If you get nine to 10 hours of sleep, you’ll be at your very best the next day, said the founder of Fatigue Science. If you get seven, you’ll manage all right. Any less and your health and safety start to suffer. Byrne said tests show a noticeable difference in reaction time for each 30 minutes of sleep lost or gained.

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Vancouver Sun: Dying for sleep – Vancouver company’s technology measures sleep

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Gillian Shaw writes:

Sleep is crucial – “Spring forward, fall back” means clocks get set back an hour at 2 a.m. Sunday so we get an extra hour of sleep. How important is getting enough sleep? Crucial, according to Sean Kerklaan, chief executive of Vancouver’s Fatigue Science…

Download article PDF

Top 5 reasons you should take advantage of daylight savings ‘free’ hour of sleep.

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You can be prettier, smarter, a better athlete – and it won’t cost you a cent.  What’s the catch? Sleep.

On November 3rd, daylight savings kicks in and ‘falling back’ means you get an extra hour in your day. Fatigue Science founder and internationally recognized sleep expert, Pat Byrne, thinks you should use this extra hour to sleep. We’ve all seen research and studies dictate that adults require 7-9 hours of sleep per night for a number of biological reasons that affect health, safety and performance but what exactly does that mean for you?

Here are the Top 5 reasons why you should take advantage of daylight savings “free” hour of sleep:

  1. Reduce your accident risk by 11% – Tired people are like drunk people in terms of performance and judgement. Sleep, even just one extra hour, makes you safer.
  2. Improve your grades at school – Sleep is when your brain consolidates memories so you can recall what you’ve learned during the day.
  3. Improve your reaction time by 5% – If you’re playing sports, this can mean the difference between winning or losing a game.
  4. Look prettier – When you sleep a hormone that helps repair tissue damage is released, keeping your skin in youthful condition.
  5. Lose weight – Well rested people have decreased hunger and cravings.

Don’t shortchange your health and performance by investing this found time elsewhere – On November 3rd, take your free hour and sleep.