{"id":1093,"date":"2020-03-04T14:09:43","date_gmt":"2020-03-04T14:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/?p=1093"},"modified":"2021-01-27T18:41:43","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T18:41:43","slug":"daylight-savings-time-always-leave-you-feeling-tired-heres-what-you-can-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/04\/daylight-savings-time-always-leave-you-feeling-tired-heres-what-you-can-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Hacking Daylight Saving Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This year, daylight saving time (DST) is happening on Sunday, March 8th. We will be \u201cspringing forward\u201d \u2014 meaning we\u2019re losing an hour of sleep, much to everyone\u2019s chagrin. Whether you\u2019re a person who is already dreading the time change or thinks it\u2019s no big deal, the reality is that springing forward does have effects on your body. Fortunately, with a little know-how, you can ensure that you\u2019re well-rested at every time of the year, regardless of what the clock says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Your Sleep & the Time Change <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we set our clocks to \u201cspring forward,\u201d our body\u2019s internal circadian rhythm often doesn\u2019t get the memo<\/a>. Essentially, our body\u2019s internal sleep and peak activity levels don\u2019t really adjust to daylight saving time in the spring \u2014 we stay on a winter schedule, even though our social and work schedules switch to \u201csummer mode.\u201d While the lasting impacts of this shift are still being looked into, there are medical professionals who have studied the issue<\/a> and have concluded that daylight saving time has long-term, negative effects on the body. Many are advocating for eliminating daylight saving time nationwide. In fact, the state of Arizona hasn\u2019t observed DST since 1967<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Consequences of\nSpringing Forward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While there are potential long-term health effects associated with daylight saving time, the short-term effects are undeniable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one study<\/a>, researchers analyzed 732,835 accidents recorded through the U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 1996 to 2017. For the week after daylight saving time, the risk of fatal crashes rose nearly 6%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, during phase advancement<\/a> (the practice of setting clocks forward one hour for daylight saving time), employees, on average, sleep 40 minutes less and have 5.7% more workplace injuries than on non-phase change days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep Hygiene Tips to\nFall Asleep the Night Before DST <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a good idea to ease your body into the new schedule as much as possible to help avoid the negative short-term effects. Here are Dr. Rodgers\u2019 tips for how to do it: <\/p>\n\n\n\n