Daylight saving time officially ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks revert back to standard time. But despite gaining an extra hour of sleep this weekend, that time shift can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, affecting your overall mood and sleep quality.
“I think that people notice falling back more because it often comes with colder weather, and we lose an hour of sunlight at the end of the day,” said Dr. Jan Miller, an Athens-based licensed psychologist with Thriveworks.
The November time change sometimes hits harder because it falls at the start of a busy and stressful holiday season, Miller said. This can all lead to poor sleep, mood changes, and dips in energy levels.
“People really start feeling the winter blues this time of year, which can be challenging if you have seasonal affective disorder or anxiety,” she added.
Just like jet lag
“The biggest challenge for people is sleep disruption. It takes, on average, anywhere from three to seven days for our bodies to adjust to time shifts,” Miller said.
Even a one-hour time change disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep, hormones, and body temperature based on natural light and darkness.
“We’re used to waking up at a certain time and going to sleep at a certain time, and light is the biggest modulator of sleep,” said Ghazala Quraishi, M.D., of Crescent Neurology and Sleep.
When the morning and evening light shift an hour earlier, it changes the body’s production of melatonin and cortisol, which govern sleep-wake cues and stress.
“Some people notice sleep deprivation, or jet lag-like feelings, which can exacerbate anxiety and mess with your appetite, so you crave more carbs and comfort foods,” Miller explained.
Adjusting early to the time change
Miller recommends gradually adjusting daily habits in advance of the time change to mitigate that jet-lagged feeling that typically follows.
“One of the best ways to get your body into that new rhythm is to shift your bed and wake time by going to bed and then waking up even 20 to 30 minutes earlier than usual,” she said.
An earlier bedtime is also a great strategy for helping children adjust to the time change before it takes place.
Moving evening meals, workouts, and wind-down routines to earlier in the days leading up to the end of daylight saving time can help the body adjust more quickly.
Daily, time-sensitive prescriptions like oral contraceptives or heart medications should also be taken 20 to 30 minutes earlier a few days prior to the time change to account for the clocks shifting.
“All these incremental changes made prior to the time shift help, so that when Sunday and Monday hit, you don’t feel like you’re slamming into a brick wall or have jumped time zones,” Miller said.
Since the sunset is an hour earlier after the fall time change, Miller and Quraishi said exposure to light early in the day can ease mood changes and lingering grogginess. Taking a short, brisk walk outside is ideal, but a phototherapy lamp can have the same effect.
“Using a lamp for 20 minutes first thing in the morning can help wake you up, keep you alert throughout the day, and help a bit with that depression when the nighttime darkness hits,” Quraishi said.
While temporary disruptions in sleep and mood are common with the return to standard time, any lingering symptoms should be discussed with a qualified health professional.
“If people are experiencing increased mood difficulty, irritability, anxiety, and sleep that won’t regulate in a week or two, I encourage them to reach out to a physician or mental health care provider,” Miller said.
