Daylight Saving Time starts this weekend

(WETM) – Are you ready for longer days and shorter nights? Ready or not, this weekend we will be moving our clocks ahead by one hour again.

Standard time will give way to daylight saving time in most of the United States on March 12th at 2 a.m. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not honor the biannual time change and will remain on their current time.

Research suggests that the disruption can negatively impact people’s health, including sleep loss and heart problems. It can also mess with the body’s internal clock, which is linked to obesity, depression, and diabetes, among other issues, the Associated Press reports. Additionally, studies have associated the period right after the time change with an increase in traffic accidents.

Over a dozen states have moved to enact year-round daylight saving time, with measures being approved either by legislation or ballot measures. But without congressional action, states can’t simply move to DST due to the Uniform Time Act approved in 1966. Under the legislation, states are only permitted to remain in standard time all year, if they so choose.

Below are 11 things you can do to adjust to losing an hour of sleep this weekend.

Do not start with a “sleep debt.” Ensure that you and, if you’re a parent, your child get adequate sleep on a regular basis leading up to the time change each year. Most adults need anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep daily to perform adequately. Children have varying requirements for sleep depending on their age.
Prepare for the time change. Going to bed – and for parents, putting your kids to bed – 15 to 20 minutes earlier each night in the week preceding the time change is ideal. Having an earlier wake time can help you get to sleep earlier. Try to wake up an hour earlier than is customary on Saturday, the day before the time change. If you have not been able to make any changes to your sleep schedule in advance, then keep a very consistent wake time on weekdays as well as weekends to adjust to the time change more easily.
Use light to your advantage. Light is the strongest cue for adjusting the internal body clock. Expose yourself to bright light upon waking as you start getting up earlier in the week before daylight saving time. If you live in a place where natural light is limited in the morning after clocks change, use bright artificial light to signal your body clock to wake up earlier. As the season progresses, this will be less of an issue as the sun rises earlier in the day.
At night, minimize exposure to bright light and especially the blue light emitted by the screens of electronic media. This light can shift your body rhythm and signal your internal clock to wake up later the next day. If your devices permit, set their screens to dim and emit less blue light in the evening.
In some geographic locations, it might be helpful to have room-darkening curtains at bedtime depending on how much sunlight your room gets at bedtime. Be sure to open the curtains in the morning to allow the natural morning light to set your sleep-wake cycle.
Carefully plan your day and evening activities. The night before the time change set yourself up for a good night’s sleep by incorporating relaxing activities that can help you wind down, such as reading a book or meditating.
Incorporate exercise in the morning or early in the day. Take a walk, even if it is just around the house or your office during the day.
Consider starting with a protein-heavy breakfast, since sleep deprivation can increase appetite and craving for high-carbohydrate foods and sugars.
Stop using caffeine after noon. Using caffeine too late in the day can lead to trouble falling asleep and even disrupted sleep.
Adults, decline that wine at bedtime. Wine and other kinds of alcohol can also disturb sleep.
If you’re a parent or caregiver, be patient with your kids as they adjust to the new times. Sleep deprivation affects the entire family, and some kids have a harder time adjusting to the time change than others. You may notice more frequent meltdowns, irritability, and loss of attention and focus. Set aside more quiet, electronic media-free time in the evening. Consider a brief 20-minute nap in the early afternoon for younger children who are having a difficult time dealing with this change.