Daylight Savings Time is more than just an hour lost. How can we better prepare ourselves?
In March, on an unassuming Sunday, we abruptly shift our clocks an hour forward, telling ourselves, “It’s just one hour.” But the experts in SRI’s Human Sleep Research Program know that the impact is far greater than one morning of sleep. This shift disrupts the body’s circadian rhythms — the internal biological systems that govern not only our sleep-wake cycles, but our cardiovascular function, mood, and cognition. The result is a state researchers call social jet lag: Your body clock, anchored to natural light, is suddenly running an hour behind the world’s expectations of you.
It’s more than just an hour of sleep
Most people lose 40 to 60 minutes of sleep on the night of the transition alone. But the ripple effects extend well into the following week. One study in the Journal of Applied Psychology documented a 5.7% spike in workplace injuries on the Monday after the time change. Other studies have found increased rates of heart attacks and fatal traffic accidents.
“Night owls and teenagers don’t just find this harder — research shows they’re biologically the most vulnerable to this disruption.” — Nicole Arra
The mental health dimension deserves equal attention. Sleep is not a passive recovery state; it’s when the brain consolidates memory, regulates emotion, and restores the neurochemical balance that keeps us resilient. Even an hour shift has long-term repercussions for our mood, focus, and judgment.
It also turns out that certain populations are particularly susceptible to DST-related changes. “Night owls and teenagers don’t just find this harder — research shows they’re biologically the most vulnerable to this disruption,” says Nicole Arra, the Sleep Lab Manager in SRI’s Human Sleep Research Program. “When it comes to adolescents in particular, SRI and our collaborators on the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study are observing intimate connections between sleep and teen mental health.”
So how can we better prepare ourselves for this shift? Arra shares four helpful tips to keep in mind.
Tips on a better DST transition:
- Slow-mo shift: Gradually move your bed and wake times 15–20 minutes earlier each night in the days leading up to the change. This applies to adults, adolescents, and even infants.
- Chase the sun: Seek bright morning light upon waking to help reset your internal clock to the new schedule.
- Prioritize rest beforehand: You can’t afford to lose the extra hour if you’re already carrying sleep debt — treat the days before as a sleep investment.
- Safety first: Be extra cautious driving or performing high-risk tasks in the days after the change. Even if you feel fine, reaction times are often compromised — yours and everyone else’s on the road.
Learn more about SRI’s Human Sleep Research Program or contact us.
