Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1. You get an extra hour that night, and it can still take the rest of the week to feel like yourself. If you normally wake up at 7, your body will probably have you up around 6 on Monday, and by dinnertime you may already be thinking about bed.
Think of it as a daylight savings hangover. A little planning before and after the switch can make it shorter.
Why falling back still throws you off
The fall change is the easier of the two. The Sleep Foundation says big sleep problems are less likely in November than in March, and many people use the extra hour to sleep in.
Some people still have a hard time with the new wake-up time. For most, the effects fade over a few days or weeks. The Sleep Foundation notes that some people may never fully adjust, especially those who have to cut sleep short for work or school.
Those early wake-ups happen because your body is still running on the old time. Sunset also moves an hour earlier on the clock, so the evenings get dark sooner.
Before the change: start Wednesday
Push bedtime later in small steps. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends going to bed 15 to 20 minutes later each night for a few nights before the fall change.
If your usual bedtime is 10 p.m., that could look like this:
- Wednesday: 10:15
- Thursday: 10:30
- Friday: 10:45
- Saturday: 11:00, which becomes 10:00 once the clocks fall back
Move meals along with it. The AASM suggests shifting other daily routines, like dinner, to match your new schedule before the change. Push dinner back a little each night too.
Skip the plan if you’re already short on sleep. The AASM says people with ongoing sleep loss should not shift their bedtime later. Go to bed at your usual time on Saturday and take the extra hour.
The night of the change
Halloween falls on Saturday this year, so the late night may come built in. Try to land close to your planned bedtime anyway.
Before you go to sleep, set back any clocks that don’t update on their own, like the one on the microwave or in the car. It saves you from doing math at 6 a.m.
After the change: Sunday through the next week
Keep your bedroom dark until you want to be up. The AASM recommends limiting light in the fall until your target wake-up time, since light and dark help set your body clock. Close the blinds or curtains the night before so an early sunrise doesn’t wake you before your alarm.
Get enough sleep on Sunday night. The AASM recommends at least seven hours a night for adults before and after the time change. Plan a full night on Sunday so you don’t start the week behind.
A pillow that fits the way you sleep makes those first few nights easier. Our Charcoal Infused Latex Pillow has a firm, contouring core of GOLS certified organic latex and is designed for back and side sleepers.
Stick to the new clock for everything. Wake up, eat and go to bed by the new time starting Sunday, even if your body argues for the first few days.
Get outside during the day. The Sleep Foundation lists outdoor light among its tips for handling the time change. A lunchtime walk counts, and with sunset coming earlier, the middle of the day may be your best shot at daylight.
Cut off caffeine by early afternoon. The Sleep Foundation also recommends limiting caffeine later in the day around the switch. An afternoon coffee to push through the slump can make it harder to fall asleep at your new bedtime.
Keep weekends on the same schedule. A consistent wake-up time, Saturday and Sunday included, gives your body one steady signal to follow while it adjusts.
If you’re still off after a couple of weeks
Give yourself a week of steady bedtimes, wake-up times and meals. If you’re still waking up far too early or feeling wiped out every evening after a couple of weeks, bring it up with your doctor.
