While many people grumble about losing an hour’s sleep when Daylight Saving Time goes into effect, no one will likely complain about turning the clocks back an hour before going to bed on Saturday night in preparation for when Standard Time goes back into effect at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, Nov. 1.\

“Usually a one-hour time difference doesn’t have a big effect on a person’s sleep habits, but for some it can be more difficult to adjust their biological clock,” said Dr. Karin Johnson, a sleep specialist in the Neurology Division at Baystate Medical Center.

“As a rule, especially for adults, a one-hour time change should not take more than one day for the body to adjust to the new time,” she added.

However, even the small change can lead to cardiovascular effects, especially if it results in less sleep than usual. A Swedish study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine last year found a small increase in heart attacks on the day after Daylight Saving Time begins in the spring. Putting the clocks back in autumn reduces the risk somewhat, but not entirely.

For children, Dr. Johnson recommended parents may want to put their children to sleep an hour later, or be ready for them to wake up an hour earlier than they usually do.

Baystate Medical Center’s Neurodiagnostics and Sleep Center and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine offer tips to minimize any disruption to your sleep cycle:

• Do not nap during the day. If you must snooze, limit the time to less than one hour and no later than 3 p.m.
• Maintain a regular wake-up time, even on weekends.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, heavy meals, and exercising a few hours before bedtime.
• Stick to rituals that help you relax before going to bed. This can include such things as a warm bath, a light snack or a few minutes of reading.
• Don’t take your worries to bed. Bedtime is a time to relax, not to hash out the stresses of the day.
• If you can’t fall asleep, leave your bedroom and engage in a quiet activity. Return to bed only when you are tired.
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and a little cool.

The changing light of fall can also play a major role in your sleep pattern.

“For people who are very sensitive to light, the decrease in evening light may make them feel more tired, but the earlier morning light may help them to get up easier when the alarm clock rings,” said Dr. Johnson.

“However, as the days get shorter and shorter, people tend to be more tired. Using bright lights in the morning hours can be helpful,” she added.

More than half of all Americans suffer from some form of sleep disorder. Sleep needs depend on many factors, including age. For most adults, seven-to-eight hours a night is recommended to achieve good health and optimum performance. It is recommended that children in pre-school sleep between 11-13 hours a night, and school-aged children between 10-11 hours of sleep a night. Teenagers, on average, require about nine or more hours of sleep each night.

Sleep deprivation can adversely affect an individual’s health and performance, as well as jeopardize their safety and the safety of others. A sleep-deprived person is likely to have less energy, difficulty concentrating, make poor decisions and increase errors. They may even fall asleep during work, in class, or while driving. Other effects of sleep deprivation include irritability, anxiety, and symptoms of depression, as well as such health risks as high blood pressure, heart attack, obesity, and diabetes.

Baystate Medical Center’s Neurodiagnostics and Sleep Center provides the latest high-technology testing and diagnosis for all types of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, snoring, and sleepwalking.

For more information, visit the Neurodiagnostics and Sleep Center website or call Baystate HealthLink at 413-794-2255.