Daylight saving time: Doctor shares tips on how to best make the adjustment

Experts on adjusting body clocks after springing foward

Dr. Rosenberg of Neurotrials Research says it is important to monitor your sleeping habits in the days immediately following the one hour spring ahead created by daylight saving time.

ATLANTA - As Georgia residents move their clocks forward an hour early Sunday morning, sleep specialist Dr. Russell Rosenberg of Neurotrials Research says the loss of an hour of sleep could affect a lot of people who may already be short on sleep.

"Most people can ill afford to lose one more hour of sleep," Dr. Rosenberg says.

Rosenberg is not a fan of daylight saving times.

He says while it is easy to change the clock the wall, adjusting your body clock overnight is harder.

"We know there are more cardiovascular issues like heart attacks and stroke that occur during this time of year," Rosenberg says. "And there's more car accidents.  We don't want to be on 75, 85 or 285 when people are more sleepy and more at risk for having a motor vehicle accident."

If you can, he says, sleep in on Sunday, and maybe take a nap in the afternoon.

"It's not easy to move your schedule up earlier," he says. "So, I think most of us are just going to have to cope with a little less sleep or a little more difficulty waking up on Monday morning."

The good news, Dr. Rosenberg says, is most of us will adjust within a few days.  

"I think it's always good to take your sleep seriously and even recognize that one hour can make a difference for some people," he says.

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Rosenberg says that's especially true for people who are chronically short on sleep.

For them, the "spring forward" time change can be a kind of tipping point into more severe sleep problems like insomnia.

As you adjust, Rosenberg says, be aware you might feel extra drowsy heading into the work week.

"Losing an extra hour of sleep can put you into a danger zone for falling asleep behind the wheel of the car, having an accident," he says. "You know, if you're working with heavy equipment or machinery of some sort where you really need to pay attention, having a moment or two of drifting off and not paying attention can be really a serious matter."

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