Effects of Daylight Savings Time

March 20, 2023

By Sierra Sonnenfelt

Your favorite time of the year is here! Daylight Saving Time marks the time to “spring” ahead one hour for most of the United States. Losing an hour of your day often affects people greatly. 

Senior Ella Gaes says, “I had an early morning on Sunday, so getting one less hour of sleep was challenging when I had to wake up at 4:45 a.m.” The days grow longer as the nights get shorter. The extra daylight hours may allow for more fun in the sun, but we may want to keep in mind how these changes can influence our daily lives. 

Here are some tips to help pull you out of the grogginess! The first tip is to maintain your schedule. Make sure to stick to getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Turning electronics off an hour before bedtime can help you fall asleep faster and easier. Getting up at the same time consistently every morning also helps you fall back into a routine, making your day-to-day life easier to go about. 

Avoiding naps is also another tip to help adjust to the time change. Now, I know we all love a good nap after a long school day, but this can create longer term sleep problems. In an article titled, “How to Deal with Sleep Deprivation from Daylight Saving Time,” Chrissy Callahan states, “Avoid naps: "If you feel sleepy the day after the change, try to resist taking a nap because this will reduce the amount of sleep pressure present at bedtime and can create longer term sleep problems. If you must nap, keep it to 15 to 20 minutes, ideally in the late morning.”

One final tip is to practice good habits before bed. Following the days after the time change, quit caffeinated beverages 4 to 6 hours before bedtime. Another habit is avoiding workouts within 4 hours of bedtime because raising your body’s temperature can make it more difficult to fall asleep. Doing things to help your body relax can create big changes in your overall well being. 

Skylar Scholting says one thing she is going to do to help her is, “Definitely go to bed earlier to make sure I get the proper amount of sleep.”