OTTAWA -- The arrival of Daylight Saving Time means you’ll lose an hour of sleep this weekend.
And as we prepare to move the clocks forward at 2 a.m. Sunday, a sleep disorders specialist at The Royal suggests we “underestimate” the impact the time change has on our sleep.
Dr. Elliott Lee tells CTV News Ottawa the loss of an hour on Sunday will impact the sleep for a lot of us because “it forces people to shift their sleep cycle to an earlier time, which for some people can have an impact on their quality of sleep and their subsequent wakefulness the next day.”
Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday. You are encouraged to turn your clocks forward one hour before going to bed Saturday night.
“People will tend to underestimate how much impact the time change can have,” said Dr. Lee.
The sleep disorders specialist says people who are sleep deprived have a higher risk of being in a vehicle collision, become more irritable and are at greater risk of heart disease.
While the loss of one hour Sunday morning may not seem like a big deal, Dr. Lee says people need a good quantity of sleep, a good quality of sleep and sleep at the right time.
“You might get one hour less of sleep, but it also shifts our sleep cycle so that our sleep is not as well aligned to our circadian cycle, so that also affects the quality of sleep as well,” said Dr. Lee.
The doctor adds the loss of an hour of sleep will have an impact on how you function the next day.
Dr. Lee says there are a few ways to limit the impact of the shift to Daylighting Saving Time, including:
- Going to bed 30 minutes earlier the night before the time change
- Avoid TV/smartphones/tablets right before bedtime the night before the time change
- Expose yourself to light (go for a walk in the sunlight)
- Limit caffeine/alcohol intake
- Exercise in the morning after the time change
Dr. Lee says it should take one-or-two days to adjust to the time change.
