Tips for New Yorkers to Stop Daylight Savings Time from Disrupting Sleep Patterns

Tips for New Yorkers to Stop Daylight Savings Time from Disrupting Sleep Patterns

By:  Benyamin Davidsons

Daylight saving time will begin on early Sunday March 9 at 2 a.m., for most of the US, with clocks moving forward an hour, in a bid to make better use of daylight and to conserve energy.

As reported by the NY Post, the time lapse will last till Sunday, Nov. 2.  The clock change, which was first implemented in 1918, has recently become the subject of great debate and controversy, with supporters saying the time change affords us an extra hour of daylight, which is beneficial to the mind, body and soul, and has energy cost saving as well as safety benefits.  On the other side, critics are calling to nix DST, saying it disrupts sleep patterns. Some of the opponents cite research which says that shuffling the normal sleep cycle can pose potential health hazards—such as increased risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Regardless of the ultimate outcome of the debates, here are some easy tips to help ease the ‘jetlag’ of daylight savings.  Per the Post, Dr. Alcibiades Rodriguez, director of sleep medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, reveals three tips to take on the week before DST to help ease into it. Dr Rodriguez advises people to make an effort to take advantage of and tap into morning light in the days leading up to DST.  This will help to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm—which is dependent on natural sunlight.

When the clocks are moved forward, sunrise seems to come later in the day, which means less opportunity for morning light. Though it’s only an hour of difference, the shift affects our body’s natural circadian rhythm and impacts how tired we feel, when we feel hungry, and how well we can concentrate.  It can even affect our hormonal fluctuations throughout the day and our body temperature.  Tapping into the morning light can help with this because exposure to sunshine boosts cortisol production, signaling that it’s time to wake up, increasing alertness and setting the stage for better sleep later that night.

The next tip includes adjusting our sleep cycle before the time change.  Dr. Rodriguez advises to preempt the sleep disruptions by trying to go to sleep 15 to 20 minutes earlier and waking up 15 to 20 minutes earlier every day for the week, leading up to Sunday.  Preparing in this way can help our bodies ease into DST and avoid the worst-case scenarios– which include increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and even automobile accidents caused by disturbed sleep.

Third, maintaining a regular sleep routine which remains consistent can help avoid negative effects of DST.

Here are some healthy evening habits:  Avoid caffeine late in the day, as it is a stimulant.  We should start setting aside our phones well before bedtime, as the blue light is stimulating.  Similarly, we should log off our computers and end social media use about half an hour to an hour before bedtime. Also, experts do not support exercise or strenuous activity in the two hours before bedtime. It also helps to make our rooms dark for bedtime– this is a simple but important step to enhancing our sleep environment.  Lastly, we should not eat a meal or large snack before bedtime.