As clocks "fall back" again at the start of November, millions of Americans will be getting what feels like an extra hour of rest. But the change in overnight sleep time could be a change that discombobulates some and leaves them feeling less refreshed.
Yale Medicine sleep psychologist Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg says there are simple ways to make the transition smoother and longer-term changes that could make everyone’s sleep healthier.
Easing the time change
“The smart thing to do is to begin moving your bedtime forward by 15 to 30 minutes a day, a few days before the time change,” Schneeberg said. She notes that the fall transition is easier than spring’s “lost hour,” but it still disrupts many people’s sleep rhythms.
Why experts want to end daylight saving time
Schneeberg says she’s not alone in thinking daylight saving time is no longer a good idea.
“Sleep experts think it should be scrapped,” she said. “What we should choose is standard time. Standard time is better at matching the sun to our natural clocks and to our social clocks.”
Switching permanently to standard time would give people more morning light, which “sets that internal clock much more easily. We’d feel more alert in the morning,” she said.
The biannual changes, on the other hand, “can cause, due to the sleep deprivation, some safety risks and even some negative health consequences that are more serious.”
Screens and sleeplessness
Schneeberg has been treating sleep disorders for more than two decades. She says there’s one big change that has made it harder for us to get a good night’s sleep.
“Of course, electronics,” she said. “People have really brought them into their bedrooms. Most everybody now knows to turn those devices off — if you are going to use them at all.”
Still, she offers a balanced view.
“You don’t have to be so strict about it,” Schneeberg said. “Put your phone in night mode, use it as a reader, or play a podcast or audiobook. You just want to stay off email, news, work. You always want to keep your bed associated with very relaxing things.”
Why insomnia is so hard to beat
As many as 70 million Americans suffer from insomnia. Schneeberg says that’s partly because people develop what she calls “sleep onset associations” — habits or conditions they depend on to drift off.
“People get used to only falling asleep with the TV on,” she explains. “Then if they try to turn it off, because they know it’s not the best way, they lie awake.”
Instead, she encourages people to find gentler routines: “It’s a great plan to have a way to read yourself to sleep, or listen to an audiobook or a podcast, because all the things that might trouble us seem larger when the distractions of the day fall away.”
Promising new treatments
One of the most effective modern treatments, Schneeberg says, is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI) — a non-drug approach that retrains the mind and body for better rest.
“It has some very structured approaches and techniques that go far beyond simple sleep hygiene,” she says. “It’s sophisticated, tailored, customized therapy for insomnia — and it works really well and really rapidly.”
