Daylight saving time (DST) ends this Sunday at 2 a.m. so residents are advised to be sure to change the clock to fall back an hour before going to bed Saturday night.
Though many believe they are gaining an hour of sleep, the extra hour may not result in an immediate improvement in your sleep pattern, according to a news release from Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region.
People are not necessarily going to benefit from this time change, according to the news release.
The time change does have an effect on the body’s sleeping cycle, but there are ways to make the adjustment easier.
“It may be too much of an optimistic view to think that gaining one hour of sleep will have an immediate positive effect on your sleep behavior,” Dr. Dennis Hwang of Kaiser Permanente Southern California’s Sleep Center at Fontana Medical Center said in the news release. “It’s not uncommon to still feel tired. The change of DST in either direction changes our circadian rhythm.”
The circadian rhythm is the sleep-wake cycle, which regulates how tired or alert someone is at regular intervals, according to Hwang.
Hwang recommends maintaining your regular sleep schedule and getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night. By maintaining your normal sleep schedule, it allows your body’s internal clock the ability to adjust on its own. In addition to this, Kaiser Permanente recommends skipping alcohol, caffeine and looking at screens before going to bed.
DST started over 100 years ago and was used as a way to conserve fuel during World War I, according to the news release, but ultimately it stands as a way to make better use of natural daylight.
