Falling Back: Five Simple Ways To Cope When Daylight Saving Time Ends

As Daylight Saving Time comes to an end, we turn our clocks back, gaining an extra hour in our day. While that might sound great, we often pay the price for that “bonus” hour. The time change can throw off our routines and disrupt our internal clocks.

This is also the time of year when it starts getting dark before we even leave work, which most of us don’t love. The sudden shift in daylight can affect our sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up feeling refreshed. During the week after the time change, many people wake up earlier than usual, have trouble falling asleep, or find themselves awake in the middle of the night. Short sleepers—those who log fewer than seven hours—and early risers tend to have the toughest time adjusting.

So what can we do? The best thing for you and your family is to help your body gradually adapt. Try going to bed about 15 minutes earlier each night in the days following the time change until your schedule feels normal again.

As for the early sunsets, that’s a little harder to fix. I like to look on the bright side by using the extra evening time to organize things around the house, cook comfort foods, or tackle projects I might not do on a warm, sunny day. And remember, the days only get shorter until December 21. After that, the light slowly returns, something to look forward to along with the holiday season.

Here are the top five ways to cope with the end of Daylight Saving Time...