Preparing for upcoming daylight saving time
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH)– When the time changes, it could be a dreaded time for many people. Daylight saving time will happen at 2 a.m. Sunday and that is when clocks will move forward an hour.
The CDC said in a report that one in three Americans do not get enough sleep at night.
That 2016 report also said that Americans reported sleeping an average of seven hours and 36 minutes per night. The National Sleep Foundation recommends people need to get an average of seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
Those who suffer from insomnia, shift work disorder, or even seasonal affective disorder may have a harder time with the time change.
Dr. Yelena Chernyak said the time change is a good chance to make some healthy changes.
“I like to think of daylight savings as an opportunity to get back to some healthier sleep habits so even if you normally struggle with sleep this is an opportunity to refocus and identify some of the things you might be lacking in your sleep habits that could get you back on track,” she said.
Chernyak is a Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist at IU Health and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the IU School of Medicine.
People can prepare for the upcoming time change by getting about an extra 30 minutes of sleep in the days leading up to the change.
Create a nice bedtime routine so that you’re apt to fall asleep a little bit earlier, read a book, try to stay away from electronics, alcohol, excessive caffeine, which is what a lot of people go to when they try to compensate when they are a little bit more fatigued,” Chernyak added
For people to who work overnights and early morning, it is best to keep the same sleep schedule seven days a week so the brain can adjust to the schedule is not constantly trying to play catch up.