Spring Forward is one of the toughest mornings of the year. 

As a mom, the shift to Daylight Savings Time is very stressful. Not only do I know that my children’s sleep schedules will be affected, but mine will as well. I know I’m not alone in dreading the morning where we “lose an hour of sleep.” 

Spring Forward can feel like a step back for the first few days after the shift. While we look forward to the extra daylight in the afternoons, this change feels like it wrecks our sleep schedules. 
The quality of our sleep has an incredible impact on our daily lives, often in ways we don’t realize. Even small changes to our sleep schedules can cause real-life consequences including: 

• Increased fatigue and grogginess
• Mood changes and increased irritability
• Poor focus and slowed thinking
• A measurable increase in car accidents and workplace injuries/errors 

While the time change’s effects are typically temporary, small adjustments beforehand can help the transition go more smoothly.

Make Small, Gradual Adjustments to Your Sleep Schedule

Starting a few days prior to the time change, work on going to bed 15-20 minutes earlier each night and waking up 15-20 minutes earlier each morning. These small shifts in your schedule can feel easier on the body than the stark one-hour difference.

Use Light to Realign Your Body’s Internal Clock

The time change shift can knock circadian rhythms, your body’s internal clock, out of alignment. That internal clock regulates sleep-wake patterns and is heavily influenced by light. 
Introducing morning light soon after you wake up can help your body return to a more normal sleep cycle. You might try:

• Opening the blinds first thing in the morning
• Go outside soon after waking 
• Use a light therapy lamp that mimics daylight

Ahead of bedtime, reduce your exposure to light.

• Dim lights one to two hours before bed
• Reduce screen time in the hour before bed. The blue light emitted by phones and TV screens has a similar effect to daylight on your internal clock.

Continue Good Sleep Habits

Good sleep hygiene, the habits we recommend to patients with sleep disorders, can be beneficial to everyone, especially during time changes: 

• Stop drinking caffeine at least eight hours prior to bedtime
• Maintain the same bedtime routine even on the weekends
• Schedule strenuous exercise at least two to three hours before bedtime
• Skip heavy meals prior to bedtime
• Avoid napping in the afternoons
• If you do need a nap, keep it under an hour

When to Seek Help for Chronic Sleep Issues

For most of us, the shift to Daylight Savings Time only temporarily disrupts our sleep schedule.
If you are still feeling out of sorts a week or so after the time change, you may want to talk to your primary care provider about a sleep medicine consult. Symptoms of sleep disorders can include:

• Daytime sleepiness
• Feeling like you are never rested even after sleep
• Difficulty with snoring 

Many sleep medicine specialists, like my colleagues and myself at Pulmonary Consultants in Amory, Tupelo, Iuka and Starkville, can see you without a provider referral.