How to Protect Your Health When the Clocks Fall Back

Here we go again. Even though many people regard changing our clocks back and forth each fall and spring as a huge inconvenience and waste of time, we’re still going to fall an hour back on Sunday, November 5.

The concept of the twice annual time change was created by a Brit named William Willett who wanted to maximize daylight hours. In 1907, he published a paper called “The Waste of Daylight” that suggested you should set your clocks forward at the start of spring and summer, and then return to standard time in the autumn.

The idea finally caught on during World War I when changing the clocks to create more daylight during the workday helped save on fuel and power, according to Women’s Health.

The good news about the time change this weekend is that we’re going to get an extra hour of sleep and more daylight in the mornings. The bad news is that changing the clocks disrupts our circadian rhythms and can cause health issues.

 But the Sunshine Protection Act that would eliminate the changing of clocks that was approved by the U.S. Senate in 2022 fizzled when it reached the House of Representatives, so it never passed. Senator Marco Rubio, one of the Republican sponsors of the proposed legislation, was hoping the U.S. would no longer “fall back” in the winter and “would enjoy a full year of daylight saving time (DST), instead of only eight months.”

The Department of Transportation, which is in charge of the time change, says that the practice of daylight saving time saves energy, prevents traffic accidents and reduces crime. However, healthcare experts say that the changing back and forth has potentially serious side effects on our health.

According to USA Today, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) said the U.S. should eliminate daylight saving time and stick to a year-round standard time. Two states, Arizona and Hawaii, and several U.S. territories have opted not to observe the semi-annual time change.

There are several reasons for the AASM stance. Sleep is critical for health and disrupting our natural sleep cycle can trigger depression, mood swings, and even an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as strokes. A report published in 2019 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that the risk of heart attacks was higher in the weeks following both the spring and fall time transitions.

Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a NYC-based neuropsychologist and the clinical director of Comprehend the Mind, offers these tips to make the most out of the time change this weekend:

1. Avoid alcohol. When the clocks are turned back in the fall, many bars stay open an additional hour which could cause young people to overindulge and regret the boozing on Sunday. “Even with just a one-hour clock change, our body’s circadian rhythm is thrown off making our brains a bit confused,” says Hafeez. “Alcohol only heightens this effect.”
2. Enjoy physical activity during the daytime. The expert says that the more time you spend outdoors in the sunshine, the less sluggish you will feel when the clocks fall back. This is an ideal time to take a power walk or look forward to early morning runs when the time changes. Hafeez advises knowing what time of day you feel most energized and aligning your workouts accordingly.
3. Don’t sleep in. Instead, go to bed an hour earlier and allow extra time to wind down before going to sleep. You really should stick to the same wake-up time, says Hafeez.
4. Avoid watching the news before bedtime. Any mental stimulation — especially watching the news — can make it more difficult to fall asleep. Try listening to tranquil music or guided meditation instead.
5. Plan ahead and consider taking Monday off. Hafeez says that people who know from experience that they are negatively affected by the time change should relax on Monday, if possible, and make that day all about self-care. Wake up early to take advantage of the morning light, enjoy a healthy breakfast, get a massage or catch up on reading. “People can feel the effects of the clock change for up to three weeks,” she says.  “Taking a day off to focus on your own well-being can be a nice post time change ritual.”