As daylight saving time winds down, the clocks will move back an hour, giving most people outside Arizona and Hawaii an extra hour in bed. Nice in theory — but sleep doctors and psychologists warn that the so-called bonus hour can still leave you feeling as if you’ve been hit with jet lag, complete with a groggy 5 a.m. wake-up or an early evening crash.
The good news is that the fall transition is usually easier than the spring one. “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 P. Patel, a sleep medicine specialist and founder of The Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona.
Still, easier does not mean effortless. That’s why seven sleep doctors and researchers offered the same basic strategy for making the switch less disruptive: begin adjusting your sleep schedule a few nights ahead of the change. It costs nothing and only takes a four-night commitment.
Begin going to bed 15 minutes later
The most consistent advice from the experts was simple: do not try to absorb the full hour all at once. Instead, move your bedtime and wake time later by about 15 to 20 minutes each night for several nights before the clocks change.
“Beginning approximately three or four days before the time change, go to bed and wake up 15-20 minutes later each day,” Patel says. “By Sunday, your circadian rhythm is already close to a new time.”
For anyone hoping to just tough it out on the night of the change, specialists say the body does not respond well to abrupt routine shifts.
“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,” explains Dr. Daniella Marchetti, a clinical health psychologist and Mattress Firm Sleep Advisor.
Sleep tools experts say can help
The schedule shift costs nothing, but there are also a few products experts say may make the transition even smoother.
A 10,000-lux light therapy box
Patel says a UV-filtered 10,000-lux box has “the strongest evidence compared to anything else on the market,” and he uses one for a week after international trips. Marchetti suggests starting with 15 minutes a day and gradually building up to 60.
A sunrise alarm clock
These alarms wake you by slowly increasing brightness, which can be especially useful when mornings are darker.
Blackout curtains or a sleep mask
Reducing unwanted light is important, since stray brightness can interrupt sleep at the wrong time. Blackout curtains or a thick sleep mask can help keep those disruptions out.
A sound machine
Sam Nicolino, CEO and founder of Adaptive Sound Technologies, says sleep often becomes lighter after a time change, making small noises more likely to wake you. A high-quality sound machine can help cover those disturbances.
Use evening light before the time change, then morning light after it
One tip may seem backward at first: the advice to get morning sun is only part of the story when adjusting to the clock change.
Light is the main cue for the body clock, and timing matters. “Morning light shifts the internal clock earlier whereas light in the evening shifts the internal clock later,” Patel says. Since the goal is to shift later, late-afternoon and early-evening light is helpful before the clocks move back.
“Before the change, some extra light in the early evening helps nudge your clock later,” says Dr. Ales Ulishchenko, a physician and founder of MindBodyFace.
After the clocks change, the pattern flips. Mornings become a better time for sunlight, while evenings get darker. Marchetti recommends at least 15 to 20 minutes of direct morning sunlight, whether outside or near a window, rather than simply turning on the lights indoors.
Do not use the extra hour to stay up later
It may be tempting to celebrate the time change by staying up later, especially with an extra hour of sleep waiting in the wings. Sleep researchers say that is exactly what can make the following Monday feel miserable.
“When the clocks fall back, I go to bed at my usual time, by the clock,” Nicolino says. “Most people spend the extra hour staying up, and that is what makes Monday rough.”
More simple sleep wins from the experts:
- Keep meals on a steady schedule: “Move breakfast and dinner along with your new schedule and keep them at regular times, and avoid a heavy dinner close to bedtime,” Ulishchenko says.
- Dim the lights at night: Lower lighting “helps the brain understand that sleep is coming soon and supports natural melatonin release,” Marchetti says.
- Put the phone away early: Dr. Lauren Hale, professor of public health and sleep researcher at Stony Brook Medicine in New York, says smartphones should be kept out of reach at bedtime, especially when you are already changing other parts of your routine.
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