If the return to daylight time has left you feeling more bleary-eyed than usual, you’re not alone. Sleep researchers say it’s normal to experience heightened fatigue in the days following the annual “spring forward.”
In addition to losing an hour of sleep, the switch to daylight time disrupts your body’s natural circadian rhythm – the internal biological clock that regulates when you feel sleepy and when it’s time to wake up.
For most adults, the impact is similar to a mild dose of jet lag: a day or so of daytime drowsiness, combined with diminished attention and focus. But for others, the implications are more serious.
Studies suggest there is an increase in the spread of viruses immediately after the March time change, perhaps due to compromised immune systems. And a 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicine had concluded that – in Sweden, at least – heart attack risks rise in the days following the time change, probably due to disrupted sleep and biological rhythms.
There also may be more post-time change suicides. A study of three decades of Australian suicide data found that men who are most vulnerable to subtle shifts in chronobiological rhythms were at greater risk of suicide just after the switch to daylight time.
For most people, the problem with daylight time is that it exacerbates existing sleep deprivation. Adding the equivalent of an hour of jet lag is the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back, says Jean-Yves Dionne, a pharmacist and alternative medicine consultant in Montreal: “We’re not getting enough sleep as it is because our lives are so busy. If you’re chronically sleep-deprived, losing that extra hour can have a hugely stressful impact.”
Most adults need about eight hours of sleep a night to ensure that their bodies, brains and nervous systems repair themselves properly. Sleep is essential for building immunity, consolidating memory, storing energy and boosting metabolism.
When we don’t get enough sleep, our mental function, moods, productivity and long-term health suffer greatly. Our coordination also suffers, along with our thinking and decision-making, leaving us much more prone to making mistakes. Just 17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05% (which can be reached by drinking two glasses of wine).
A 2011 study conducted by Université Laval researchers in Montreal found sleep disorders affect 40% of adult Canadians. The study of 2,000 people defined insomnia as “taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, being awake for periods longer than 30 minutes during the night or waking up at least 30 minutes earlier than planned.”
If you’re not getting enough sleep, Dionne suggests looking at your environment and schedule before reaching for a sleeping pill or some other quick fix: “Start with your bedroom environment. Is it cool? Is it dark enough? It needs to be more opaque than curtains usually make it. Even a computer screen or clock face can be problematic.”
Next, remove all electronics, starting with the TV. Many people become so engrossed in watching the tube that they ignore sleep signals, says Dionne: “You pass the point at which your body wants to go to sleep and it takes another hour and a half to get there again. Reading is better because your eyes tell you when they want to shut down.”
Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day also helps. “Create a routine and stick to it,” says Dionne. “Many people try to catch up on missed sleep on the weekend by sleeping in and going to bed later, then wind up jet-lagged on Monday.”
If you’re tempted to use alcohol to help you fall asleep, think again. According to Dionne, alcohol worsens matters by hampering sleep quality and depriving you of much needed deep sleep. Hard liquor is the worst because it also wakes you up.
Another substance to avoid is caffeine. “As a society,” he says, “we’re hooked on caffeine in the form of energy drinks, chocolate, coffee and tea. People are tired and can’t concentrate, so they drink coffee. After about three hours, they crash and then have more caffeine to give themselves a boost.”
Dionne’s advice: never ingest your last stimulant after noon because caffeine has a half-life of five hours.
If your sleep problem persists, try melatonin, the so-called “sleep hormone” produced by your pineal gland. “It triggers receptors that allow the mind to go to sleep,” says Dionne. “There are two types: the quick-acting version, which helps you fall asleep when you first go to bed and has a half-life of only 30 minutes; the long-acting supplement takes about three hours to kick in and works well for those who have trouble staying asleep.”
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