You Don’t Have to Dread the End of Daylight Saving

Getting enough quality sleep is vital to a person's health.

The loss of sleep could lead to fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and put people at risk for illnesses and accidents. Many factors can contribute to poor sleep, including work stress, anxiety, or even environmental factors such as noise or light pollution.

One factor that can affect your sleep is the time change that occurs twice a year with daylight saving time (DST). When DST ends, we "fall back" one hour, which means the sun sets an hour earlier than it did the day before. This can disrupt your circadian rhythm, which is your body's natural sleep-wake cycle.

Tips to ease the transition to the end of Daylight Saving Time

1. Start going to bed and waking up 15 minutes earlier each day in the week leading up to the time change. This will help your body adjust to the new time gradually.

2. Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. These conditions are ideal for sleep.

3. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. These substances can interfere with sleep.

4. Get regular exercise, but avoid working out too close to bedtime. Exercise can help you fall asleep, but it can also make it harder to fall asleep if you do it too close to bedtime.

5. Try to relax before bed. Take a warm bath, read a book, or listen to calming music.

6. Don't lie in bed awake for more than 20 minutes. If you can't fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel tired.

7. If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor. They may be able to recommend medication or other treatments to help you sleep better.