Daylight saving time ends: A doctor shares 6 ways to safeguard sleep and wellness

Shifting the clocks back when daylight saving time ends has been associated with difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, and repeated sleep loss can affect overall health.

Some research has suggested the fall time change may offer certain cardiovascular advantages, but the sudden loss of evening sunlight can reduce serotonin and melatonin production, which may contribute to a low mood, according to Dr. John La Puma, a California physician and specialist in nature-based medicine.

La Puma said the body’s internal clock does not instantly adjust to the time shown on the clock.

“When the clocks change, your body clock is still on the old time,” he told Fox News Digital, noting several common effects people may feel.

“So, for about a week, you wake up an hour early. You get hungry early. You feel sleepy early. It gets dark by five. Afternoon light goes away. You get months of short days. … You need coffee just to feel human. It's not great.”

Small changes to daily routines after the time shift may help make the adjustment easier, the doctor said.

He suggested beginning to move bedtime, meals and wake-up time later in small steps before the clock change.

“So, you move your day later in small steps,” he said. “You move your bedtime and meals the same 15 minutes each time.”

For someone who usually goes to bed at 10 p.m., that could mean shifting to 10:15 p.m. first, then 10:30 p.m., before the clocks change. Wake-up times and meals can be adjusted in the same increments as schedules allow.

Because the time change coincides with Halloween, Dr. Saema Tahir, a sleep medicine doctor in New York City, warned against staying up late and drinking on the assumption that the extra hour makes up for it.

“Keep alcohol moderate, finish drinking a few hours before bed and avoid caffeine after early afternoon,” she advised.

“Alcohol makes you drowsy at first but breaks up sleep in the second half of the night. Caffeine stays in your system for hours. Together, they can leave you more tired on Sunday than you would be with no time change at all.”

La Puma also stressed the value of being deliberate about outdoor light exposure.

“You want to get outside at the right minutes, at the time of day and in the right place if you can,” he said, specifically recommending time outdoors later in the afternoon.

“Late-day daylight is different than morning daylight. Late-day daylight tells your body the day is running long, and it shifts later,” he said.

After the adjustment period, Tahir recommends getting outdoor light within an hour of waking every day through the winter.

“Light is the strongest signal the body clock gets,” she told Fox News Digital. “Evening light pushes it later, which is the direction you need to go for 'fall back.' Morning light keeps it stable over the darker months and supports mood and daytime alertness.”

Relaxing activities that signal bedtime is near can also help support a steady sleep schedule.

La Puma recommends a calming bedtime ritual, such as working in a paper workbook, sipping chamomile tea, taking a bath or using aromatherapy, options he discusses in his book, “Indoor Epidemic.”

“Very specific things that tell your brain and body, 'I'm winding down so I can go to sleep.'”

Additional advice includes limiting caffeine after noon and stopping screen time at least an hour before bed.

La Puma warned that light from a phone screen can suppress melatonin, the hormone that helps signal it is time to sleep. Even night mode may not fully prevent that effect.

After the clocks change, it is important to keep a regular wake-up time, including on weekends, La Puma said.

“Pick one wake-up time and keep it every day, weekdays and weekends.”

He pointed to an eight-year study of about 60,000 people that linked consistent sleep and wake times with a 19% lower risk of death.

“So, sleep and wake times have important effects on heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular mortality,” he said.

Anyone who has ongoing trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, frequent daytime fatigue or sleep loss that affects daily life should contact a healthcare provider, according to the National Institutes of Health.