Let’s face it, most of us don’t get enough sleep even though we’re very aware of just how important it is for our physical, mental and emotional health.
And while getting in the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep a night is a struggle for many adults at all times of the year, adjusting clocks due to daylight saving time can pose an even greater challenge for bedtime routines, said Dr. Aneesa Das, a pulmonologist with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center who specializes in sleep medicine.
Daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, when clocks will have to be turned back one hour.
“Daylight saving is probably a bigger issue than most people think,” Das said. “People are chronically sleep-deprived, and adjusting our sleep even further — like in the spring, we lose a whole hour — further augments this sleep deprivation.”
Research has shown that to be the case, Das continued, citing studies that show how people experience an 11% increase in depressive mood symptoms after the fall change.
While Das admits the “fall back” time change that will happen in the early hours of Sunday morning is a bit easier than the one in the spring — it comes with an extra hour of sleep — she recommends people still be aware of how the event might affect them or their family.
And that might be all the more important this year as many people’s routines have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Sleep affects the immune system as well as people’s response to vaccines, Das said.
Here are some tips she offers to combat sleep issues when clocks change for daylight saving:
Take a look at light exposure
Das said people’s internal clocks reset every day through sunlight, so she recommends increasing exposure to natural light. On the flip side, it’s best to limit artificial light, such as from a cellphone, in the dark hours leading up to bedtime.
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Practice for daylight saving time changes early
“Staying awake a whole hour early and then sleeping in can be difficult, especially for children,” she said. She recommends that people try going to bed 20 minutes later (or earlier, depending on the time of year) a few days ahead of the change and then add 20 minutes every day until the clocks change for a more gradual transition.
Get regular exercise
This can be a tool to help with sleep all year round, Das said, but it’s especially important to pay attention to physical activity during the beginning or end of daylight saving time. Studies, she said, have shown how exercise helps people with jet lag or adjusting to time changes, whether from daylight saving or traveling to different time zones.
Limit caffeine and alcohol consumption, especially in evenings
Both of these disrupt sleep, and while it might be tempting to use these as aids to combat daylight saving sleepiness, Das said they’ll leave you feeling even less rested.
Keep bedtime routines the same
Try to have as few interruptions as possible to one’s nighttime rituals (timing, bath or shower, reading, eating habits) as this will help alert your body that it’s time to fall sleep, Das said. This can be especially helpful for children, too.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
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Few people would disagree that sleep is precious, especially when it’s elusive. Sleep refreshes and recharges, and it helps the body stay healthy. It also enables clear thinking, memory, and concentration.
In 2020, the spread of COVID-19 forced people around the world to stay home and work. Amid all the disruption, one of the often-heard complaints was that people had trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and generally not getting enough sleep altogether. Sunday Citizen compiled facts and statistics on how remote work has affected sleep, especially over the past year, using 2020 data from health news publications, scientific journals, and surveys that looked into the effects of remote work on different aspects of life.
The body’s internal clock controls the cycle of wakefulness and sleep, and that cycle can be affected by light, stress, poor health, and more. Most people need between seven to nine hours of sleep each day. That sleep includes four stages—three stages of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and then rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The body is most relaxed during the third NREM stage, when the heartbeat, breathing, and brain wave activity slow down. During REM sleep, breathing, the heart rate, and blood pressure increase. Dreaming typically occurs during REM sleep, which also is believed to be the time for memory consolidation, when experiences are converted into memories. The four stages repeat during a night’s sleep, and each typically lasts 90 to 120 minutes.
Continue reading to learn about how the shift to remote work has had an impact on sleep.
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Few people would disagree that sleep is precious, especially when it’s elusive. Sleep refreshes and recharges, and it helps the body stay healthy. It also enables clear thinking, memory, and concentration.
In 2020, the spread of COVID-19 forced people around the world to stay home and work. Amid all the disruption, one of the often-heard complaints was that people had trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and generally not getting enough sleep altogether. Sunday Citizen compiled facts and statistics on how remote work has affected sleep, especially over the past year, using 2020 data from health news publications, scientific journals, and surveys that looked into the effects of remote work on different aspects of life.
The body’s internal clock controls the cycle of wakefulness and sleep, and that cycle can be affected by light, stress, poor health, and more. Most people need between seven to nine hours of sleep each day. That sleep includes four stages—three stages of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and then rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The body is most relaxed during the third NREM stage, when the heartbeat, breathing, and brain wave activity slow down. During REM sleep, breathing, the heart rate, and blood pressure increase. Dreaming typically occurs during REM sleep, which also is believed to be the time for memory consolidation, when experiences are converted into memories. The four stages repeat during a night’s sleep, and each typically lasts 90 to 120 minutes.
Continue reading to learn about how the shift to remote work has had an impact on sleep.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
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With some 15% of workers already clocking in from home, the addition of those at home due to the coronavirus brought the figure up to nearly half of all workers, according to June 2020 data from the National Bureau of Economic Research. Such a change in routine can affect sleep as people adjust to different schedules, may have to put their makeshift home offices in their bedrooms, or don’t take informal breaks with colleagues like they did working in an office.
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With some 15% of workers already clocking in from home, the addition of those at home due to the coronavirus brought the figure up to nearly half of all workers, according to June 2020 data from the National Bureau of Economic Research. Such a change in routine can affect sleep as people adjust to different schedules, may have to put their makeshift home offices in their bedrooms, or don’t take informal breaks with colleagues like they did working in an office.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
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Having children studying from home adds to the responsibilities of parents who already may have had their hands full dealing with the impacts of the pandemic. Research shows that the changes to schedules and routines involved with home-schooling children, along with less time out of the home and less social interaction, can take a major toll on sleep.
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Having children studying from home adds to the responsibilities of parents who already may have had their hands full dealing with the impacts of the pandemic. Research shows that the changes to schedules and routines involved with home-schooling children, along with less time out of the home and less social interaction, can take a major toll on sleep.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
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Remote employment may disrupt a barrier between working and relaxing. It’s generally recommended that a designated workspace be used only during working hours, and that if possible, a bedroom should not be used for working. It’s not good for productivity or posture.
fizkes // Shutterstock
Remote employment may disrupt a barrier between working and relaxing. It’s generally recommended that a designated workspace be used only during working hours, and that if possible, a bedroom should not be used for working. It’s not good for productivity or posture.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
fizkes // Shutterstock
Research from the Better Sleep Council shows that workers who say they are poor sleepers are 1.5 times more likely to say they are feeling under pressure at work. They also are twice as likely not to feel valued at work, more than twice as likely not to enjoy their work, and three times more likely to say they do not work in a friendly environment.
fizkes // Shutterstock
Research from the Better Sleep Council shows that workers who say they are poor sleepers are 1.5 times more likely to say they are feeling under pressure at work. They also are twice as likely not to feel valued at work, more than twice as likely not to enjoy their work, and three times more likely to say they do not work in a friendly environment.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
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General anxiety, and consuming too much news and technology, kept people awake throughout the pandemic, according to research collected by the Sleep Cycle app. Working-age people also reported that concerns about their job and personal finances prevented them from getting rest, as did working longer and later hours.
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General anxiety, and consuming too much news and technology, kept people awake throughout the pandemic, according to research collected by the Sleep Cycle app. Working-age people also reported that concerns about their job and personal finances prevented them from getting rest, as did working longer and later hours.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
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While working remotely, less commuting leaves more time for other activities such as exercise or family time. Pre-pandemic research in Sweden found that full-time workers commuting more than 30 minutes to work each day were 25% more likely to have an inactive lifestyle and a 6% higher chance of having sleep problems than those with shorter commutes.
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While working remotely, less commuting leaves more time for other activities such as exercise or family time. Pre-pandemic research in Sweden found that full-time workers commuting more than 30 minutes to work each day were 25% more likely to have an inactive lifestyle and a 6% higher chance of having sleep problems than those with shorter commutes.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
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Along with those who want to keep working from home post-pandemic, a third say they would like to work from home some of the time, and about one in 10 say they never or rarely want to work from home again. Those who like it say they appreciate the flexibility and have a better work-life balance.
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Along with those who want to keep working from home post-pandemic, a third say they would like to work from home some of the time, and about one in 10 say they never or rarely want to work from home again. Those who like it say they appreciate the flexibility and have a better work-life balance.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
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A study conducted by Pew Research, released in December 2020, showed that about two-thirds of people who use video conferencing are fine with the time they do so, and about a third say it has worn them out. Those with so-called Zoom fatigue may be in the minority, but the phenomenon is real. Experts say it stems from having to work harder to read people’s expressions via computer, spending energy to appear engaged, and straining to listen, especially when there are computer delays.
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A study conducted by Pew Research, released in December 2020, showed that about two-thirds of people who use video conferencing are fine with the time they do so, and about a third say it has worn them out. Those with so-called Zoom fatigue may be in the minority, but the phenomenon is real. Experts say it stems from having to work harder to read people’s expressions via computer, spending energy to appear engaged, and straining to listen, especially when there are computer delays.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
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Research shows that the kind of blue light emitted from computer, phone, and tablet screens reduces or delays the body’s production of melatonin that is critical to falling asleep. Experts recommend putting devices like cell phones away at least a half hour before bedtime. They also suggest putting cell phones in another room to limit the temptation to check them during the night.
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Research shows that the kind of blue light emitted from computer, phone, and tablet screens reduces or delays the body’s production of melatonin that is critical to falling asleep. Experts recommend putting devices like cell phones away at least a half hour before bedtime. They also suggest putting cell phones in another room to limit the temptation to check them during the night.
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Is Thursday the new Monday? Flexible working is in flux as employees return to the office
Creative Lab // Shutterstock
Sleep studies have found that adults who consider themselves poor sleepers are less likely than excellent sleepers to value meeting new people, exercising, and attending cultural events. Those who said they slept poorly also said they valued activities like sports and gardening less than those who considered themselves excellent sleepers.
This story was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Creative Lab // Shutterstock
Sleep studies have found that adults who consider themselves poor sleepers are less likely than excellent sleepers to value meeting new people, exercising, and attending cultural events. Those who said they slept poorly also said they valued activities like sports and gardening less than those who considered themselves excellent sleepers.
This story was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
