Credits: Social Media
Larks and short sleepers will struggle the most after daylight savings time, Harvard says
Two groups of sleepers known as “larks” and “short sleepers” will find November’s daylight savings time reset the most difficult, according to a report from Harvard.
Sleep might seem like a simple biological process, but as anyone with insomnia will tell you, that is far from the truth. And it’s a serious issue too, as a lack of sleep can interrupt your creativity, contribute to underlying health conditions, and come back to bite you in later life.
Daylight savings time ends in November
The first Sunday in November at 2:00 am marks the end of daylight savings time (DST) and the return to standard time. Days get shorter, there is a decrease in natural light, and seasonal affective disorder tips become regular features on social media.
While most of us celebrate getting an extra hour in bed, Harvard Medical School argues that “only a minority” of people will be able to take advantage of it. After months of DST, your body is just programmed a different way.
Though most of us will somewhat deal with the sudden change, there are two groups of people that might struggle to adapt.
“People who tend to be so-called short sleepers, logging under 7.5 hours a night, and early risers (also known as larks), have the most trouble adjusting to the new schedule,” Harvard said.
If you’re in one of these groups, you could expect to wake up earlier, have more trouble falling asleep, and wake up consistently during the night.
Tips for dealing with DST as clocks ‘fallback’
Spring Forward is definitely the harder pill to swallow, but that doesn’t mean that Fall Backward is a walk in the park. Seriously, you can’t walk in the park, it’s dark outside. Even if you try to use that 1-hour extra to catch up on lost sleep, studies show that you’re still going to lose your nap time over longer periods.
The lack of sleep combined with increased mental health symptoms can knock you back more than you think, but there are some steps you can take to mitigate the stress.
You might consider slowly altering your sleep routine so you aren’t hit as hard when November 3 comes, but you should definitely change your clock on the Saturday night to help ease you into the transition.
Keeping your sleep schedule consistent is the aim of the game, which also includes getting sunlight within 30 minutes of waking and getting your steps in during the day. Those rays help to regulate our circadian rhythms while also fighting back the negative mental health symptoms associated with reduced sunlight and physical exercise has also been shown to improve sleep cycles.
