How to Adjust Your Sleep Before Clocks Fall Back on Sunday

That extra hour of sleep could leave you wide awake at 5 a.m. or fading by dinnertime. Sleep experts share a simple plan to ease the transition, including when to seek out sunlight and why Saturday night matters.

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, which means clocks will fall back an hour. For most Americans, that means an extra hour of sleep, though Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t change their clocks.

You might think a bonus hour would result in more restful sleep, but according to sleep experts, you may find yourself waking at 5 a.m. or dozing off early in the evening, like someone who’s jet-lagged.

A woman looking at her phone while in bed | Source: Pexels

The good news is it’s easier to adjust to time falling back than moving forward. “Our circadian rhythm runs slightly longer than 24 hours, so the fall backwards with returning to Standard Time is more natural for our internal clocks and thus easier to adapt to,” says Dr. Ruchir Patel, a sleep medicine specialist and founder of The Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona.

But it’s the sudden change that your body’s internal clock has to get used to. That clock, which is set predominantly by your exposure to light and darkness, affects more than your sleep. It also influences heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolism.

A woman stretching her arms as she gets up from bed in the morning | Source: Pexels

Experts commonly advise easing into the time change gradually rather than adjusting all at once. This means going to bed and waking up a little later every night in the days leading up to Sunday.

That’s because sudden shifts can throw your body off. “When we have big changes in our wake time, our bedtime or exposure to light or darkness, we can experience jet lag symptoms — even though we never get on a plane,” says clinical health psychologist Dr. Daniella Marchetti, a Mattress Firm Sleep Advisor.

A man sleeping on a couch | Source: Pexels

Patel suggests, “Beginning approximately three or four days before November 1, go to bed and wake up 15-20 minutes later each day,” so come Sunday, “your circadian rhythm is already close to a new time.” Even adjusting your bedtime by as little as 15 minutes a night can help. If you haven’t started yet, tonight is a good time to begin.

Along with adjusting your bedtime, you can also use light to your advantage. Light exposure is one of the most powerful tools for resetting your body clock. “Morning light shifts the internal clock earlier whereas light in the evening shifts the internal clock later,” Patel explains.

A woman watching her phone while in bed with a lamp switched on behind her | Source: Pexels

That means if you get some extra light in the early evening before Sunday, this will help move your body clock later. And after the time change, you can focus on getting more sunlight in the morning instead. Marchetti recommends at least 15 to 20 minutes of direct morning sunlight, outside or near a window.

On Saturday, while it may be tempting to use that extra hour to stay up late, experts suggest going to bed at your usual time, by the clock. “Most people spend the extra hour staying up, and that is what makes Monday rough,” says Sam Nicolino, founder of sound machine maker Adaptive Sound Technologies.

A woman sleeping with blinders | Source: Pexels

Another tip is to eat your meals on a regular schedule and avoid a heavy dinner close to bedtime. It also helps to dim the lights at night so your body naturally releases melatonin. Keeping your phone out of reach at bedtime can also make the adjustment easier.

Standard time will last until March 14, when clocks spring forward again. Until then, a few small changes now can help you enjoy that extra hour.