Fall back time change and sleep health

From Local 3 News: Daylight Saving time comes to an end at 2 a.m. this Sunday.

Time to “Fall Back” and get that much needed extra hour of sleep. But you may not necessarily wake up rested and rejuvenated.

Dr. Anuj Chandra, Advanced Center for Sleep Disorders says, “This is a very important thing and it’s a myth which needs to be dispelled.  Think of this.  It is the clock changing.  it’s not your body time.  We have a built-in circadian clock, so just because we have changed the time on the wall clock doesn’t mean our body clock adjusts automatically.”

When it comes to the time change and falling back, unfortunately not everyone is able to take advantage of the extra hour of sleep. The shift in the body’s daily sleep cycle can disrupt sleep for several days.

Dr. Anuj Chandra says, “You can’t just switch off and start sleeping an hour earlier, so one has to prepare for this starting today by postponing the bedtime by 30 minutes.”

Getting enough sleep is a major problem across the country. According to the Center for Disease Control about 1 in 3 adults reported not getting enough sleep. The numbers are also alarming for young people.

Dr. Anuj Chandra says, “There’s a vast body of research that shows there’s increased risks of motor vehicle accidents. There is increased risks of heart attacks, increased risks of strokes.”

Dr. Chandra has some advice for this weekend when it comes to the time change and your sleep.

• Change the clock after you wake up.  Stick to your regular time to get up.
• Spend more time outdoors to help reset your internal clock
• Try to avoid napping for a few days
• And turn off electronic devices an hour before bed.

Dr. Anuj Chandra says, “The main thing we cannot rake our body clock for granted which we do as a society. We do this here and all over the world because it  has become a 24/7 society and it comes with a huge impact on our health.”

To learn more, visit WWW.SLEEPFORHEALTH.ORG.