October 25, 2006

“Falling Back’’ Doesn’t Mean You’ll Get Extra Hour Of Sleep

DAVENPORT, Iowa --  An extra hour of sleep sounds like a good plan as most of the United States shifts back to Standard Time on Sunday morning but most won’t execute the plan, according to the experts of the Genesis Sleep Center.

Twice a year, most of the nation changes its clocks at 2:00 a.m. On the first Sunday in April, clocks “spring forward” an hour for Daylight Saving Time. On the last Sunday in October, clocks “fall back” one hour to return to Standard Time. Because the time change occurs in the middle of the night, sleep cycles can be disturbed.

“Many people have difficulties adjusting to both time changes,” says Stephen Rasmus, M.D., Neurologist with Neurology Consultants and Medical Director of the Genesis Sleep Center.  “But in the fall, earlier light exposure in the morning may cause people to wake up earlier. Because they may sleep less, it could mean more daytime sleepiness.’’

The Genesis Sleep Disorders Center and the National Sleep Foundation recommend these tips to help ease the adjustment to standard time:

• Keep your schedule. Maintain your regular bedtime Saturday night, when clocks move back, and awaken at your regular time. This can give you an “extra” hour of sleep the next morning and help reduce your sleep debt.
• Block out light and keep your sleeping area dark. Standard time means sunrise will occur about an hour earlier on the clock. This can impact sleep, especially for people accustomed to awakening before or around sunrise. The light itself can disturb sleep. It is always best to sleep in a darkened room until you wake up.
• Increase the light when you wake up. Light has an alerting effect that may help you wake up. It will also help adjust your biological clock to the “new” sleep schedule.
• Start to adjust.  If you are a “lark” and tend to be wide awake and energetic in the morning and sleepy early in the evening, start a few days ahead; a gradual delay in bedtime and awakening a few days before the time change may help you adjust to the change.
• Difficulty adjusting to the time change? Staying awake at night or sleeping until your desired wake up time may be helped by gradually moving bedtime and awakening later by 15 minutes every one to two days.

For more information about sleep disorders, or about the services provided by the Genesis Sleep Disorder Centers in Davenport, DeWitt and Silvis, visit the Genesis Health System Web site at, www.genesishealth.com or call Genesis On Call at 421-2000 or 1-800-383-2575.

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