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Wednesday's Health Report: Why daylight saving time can improve sleep
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BATON ROUGE — On Sunday people across the country will turn back the clocks for the end of daylight saving time. Some may struggle with the time change because it gets dark earlier, but most sleep experts welcome it.
"This change from daylight saving time back to standard time is the better change for our sleep. and it's not because we gain an hour – it's because we're going back to standard time, which scientists and researchers and clinicians in the sleep world and the circadian rhythm world all agree is the better time for our bodies,” said sleep specialist Dr. Alicia Roth.
Experts say standard time is better aligned with our natural sleep-wake cycle. That is because more light in the morning signals that it is time to wake up, while the darkness earlier in the evening helps our bodies produce melatonin to fall asleep.
If you struggle with it getting darker earlier, you can try adjusting your sleep schedule to get the most out of the daylight hours. The tougher adjustment is in the spring, but there are general sleep changes you can make.
“The golden rule for sleep is never get into bed until you're very sleepy, so don't get into bed to try to get sleepy, don't get into bed hoping you'll get sleepy – only sleep in your bed, only go to bed once you're already feeling sleepy,” Roth said.
People who are continuously having sleep issues should discuss it with their doctor.
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