Daylight saving time ending: Take advantage of the extra hour of sleep, experts say

Long Islanders should take advantage of the extra hour of sleep when the clocks roll back for the end of daylight saving time this weekend, sleep experts advise.

The end of daylight saving time Sunday at 2 a.m. allows people to catch some z's, but it also can change sleep patterns that can impact health, experts say.

The start of daylight saving time has been linked to an increase in heart attacks, car crashes and other phenomenon, sleep specialists say. Although its end is associated with some risk, people’s bodies are more aligned and function better with the extra hour of sleep.

"You should take this opportunity to go to bed at your normal time and sleep as long as your body needs on Sunday morning and enjoy that extra hour's worth of sleep,” said Lauren Hale, sleep researcher and a professor of preventive medicine at Stony Brook Medicine.

What is daylight saving time?

Daylight saving time starts in March and marks when clocks in most of the country advance an hour, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory’s website. Experts say the change to daylight saving time can cause people to stay up later and get less sleep. 

In November, the clocks turn back an hour to standard time, according to the website. At that time, the body can get more morning light and sleep easier in the evening because it is darker.

Daylight saving time is not recognized all across the country. For instance, some states, including Hawaii and Arizona, only follow standard time.

In 2023, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine endorsed the idea of a permanent standard time in the United States, citing health risks associated with daylight saving time.

If a permanent standard time was in place in the United States, nearly 300,000 strokes could be avoided a year, Stanford University researchers estimated.

How do time changes impact our body?

Sleep experts say losing or gaining an hour of sleep is a stressor for our circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock.

“Whether it be the fall shift back or spring forward, those shifts can cause misalignment in our internal clock,” said David Warkentin, system director for the Catholic Health Sleep Service, in a phone interview. 

The end of daylight saving time, he said, often means darker commutes home, possibly leading to an increase in accidents because of the lack of daylight when people are driving.

In the winter months, some people experience a type of depression called seasonal affective disorder, in which a person experiences mood changes as the seasons fluctuate, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Moreover, people may feel they have a “free pass” to stay up because they have more time to rest, leading to inadequate sleep, he said.

Spring ahead or fall back. What’s the hardest adjustment?

Overall, sleep experts contend the loss of an hour in March tends to be harsher because the body is adding sleep loss with the circadian misalignment, he said. At that time, researchers note a sharp increase in car crashes and other incidents.

“We get higher rates of workplace injuries, and typically they come with a more severe consequence, because people are tired,” said Warkentin, a supporter of a permanent standard time.

But experts note moving back toward standard time has benefits because people are able to align their biological clock with their social clock. They will also be able to get more early morning light, which is critical for mood stability and sleep quality the following night.

“Getting outside, getting that morning light will help keep you energized and keep you alert all day,” Hale said in a phone interview.

How to prepare for the change?

The key to getting ready for the end of daylight saving time is getting early morning light and being consistent with sleep habits.

Warkentin recommends people get at least 5 to 10 minutes of sunlight within an hour of waking up. And later in the day, he said, people should reduce blue lights from screens, caffeine intake and alcohol consumption.

“All of those things are going to lead to greater sleep fragmentation, and they're going to make your sleep quality worse,” he said.

Teens, experts say, should be allowed to rest during the time change because their age group doesn’t usually get sufficient slumber. Ahead of the change, parents might want to keep young children up slightly later so that they won’t wake up too early.

All in all, Hale, a supporter of a permanent standard time, said this weekend “is a gift.”

“Enjoy a safe Halloween, and then on Saturday night, go to bed at your normal time or a little bit later and enjoy the up to extra hour of sleep,” she said.

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith is a general assignment reporter for Newsday. She previously worked at USA TODAY and is an alum of Howard University.