How to adjust to daylight saving time

SALT LAKE CITY – With daylight saving time turning our clocks around, we need to adjust our bodies and make sure we’re still getting a decent amount of sleep.

In the latest Let’s Get Moving with Maria podcast episode, Maria Shilaos spoke with Dr. Andrew Namen, Sleep Physician and Spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, to learn how our body reacts to the time shift and how we can adjust each time it happens.

According to Dr. Namen, America as a country is very sleep-deprived. That’s why he always stresses the importance of encouraging good sleep quality.

Each time we change our clocks forward and backward an hour for daylight saving time, our body has to adjust to the new time. However, not everyone finds this easy to do.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recently came out with a position statement, where they suggest replacing daylight saving time with permanent standard time. The reason they came to this suggestion is because the constant time change can lead to sleep disruption.

“Our natural human circadian biology is in alignment with the sunrise and sunset in our environment. When we’re shifting, it can create some challenges,” Dr. Namen said.

To make the shift easier, you can train your body to adjust when it happens.

“When you’re going to bed at your natural time, push the clock back an hour early when it comes to daylight saving time. Do it right then and there. Maintain your standard wakeup time and see what that extra hour of sleep will do for you,” Dr. Namen said.

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