This Saturday night, we will move our clocks forward an hour to “spring” into Daylight Saving Time. Or would the appropriate word be to “slog” into the new time? Losing an hour of sleep can be more disruptive than it sounds, and Daylight Saving Time can leave us all feeling more groggy, forgetful, and stressed than we might expect. So, as much as we relish the long summer twilights, we need to acknowledge the price we pay for them in the icy grip of March.
We looked to the experts at Web MD to get more information about how this seasonal ritual can have ramifications beyond that measly hour.
From Web MD
In general, “losing” an hour in the spring is more difficult to adjust to than “gaining” an hour in the fall. It is similar to airplane travel; traveling east we lose time. An “earlier” bedtime may cause difficulty falling asleep and increased wakefulness during the early part of the night. Going west, we fall asleep easily but may have a difficult time waking.
How long will it take you to adapt to time changes? Though a bit simplistic, a rule of thumb is that it takes about one day to adjust for each hour of time change. There is significant individual variation, however.
How will you feel during this transition? If you are getting seven to eight hours of sound sleep and go to bed a little early the night before, you may wake up feeling refreshed. If you are sleep-deprived already, getting by on six hours, you’re probably in a bit of trouble, especially if you consume alcohol or caffeine close to bedtime. In this situation, you may well experience the decrements of performance, concentration, and memory common to sleep-deprived individuals, as well as fatigue and daytime sleepiness.