As daylight saving time comes to an end this weekend, people will gain an extra hour of sleep Saturday night into Sunday morning, but sleep specialists say the time change can still be a tough adjustment and a reminder of how important healthy sleep habits are to overall health. (Provided)
CINCINNATI (WKRC) – As daylight saving time comes to an end this weekend, people will gain an extra hour of sleep Saturday night into Sunday morning, but sleep specialists say the time change can still be a tough adjustment and a reminder of how important healthy sleep habits are to overall health
Dr. Ann Romaker, medical director of the Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Cincinnati, said her team treats a wide range of sleep issues
As daylight saving time comes to an end this weekend, people will gain an extra hour of sleep Saturday night into Sunday morning, but sleep specialists say the time change can still be a tough adjustment and a reminder of how important healthy sleep habits are to overall health. (WKRC, Provided)
“We treat all sorts of sleep disorders, so people who sleep too much, people who sleep too little, and people who do odd things during the night,” Romaker said
Patients who have trouble sleeping are often recommended for a sleep study so doctors can closely monitor them. Sleep problems are linked to a variety of health issues because doctors say sleep helps the body reset
“The current understanding is that if we don’t get the brain cleared out regularly, things can accumulate and cause damage that aren’t supposed to be there. So for instance, we do know that people with short sleep have an increased risk of Alzheimer’s,” Romaker said
Early Sunday morning, clocks will be turned back by one hour. Romaker said disruptions to sleep schedules can add stress to the body and are associated with increased health risks
“We also know there’s an increased risk of heart attack. Again, some of this is because the heart has its own circadian rhythm also, and so if we’re not working in sync with the sleep schedule, that’s an extra stress,” she said
Romaker said one way to help adjust to the time change is getting bright light soon after waking up
“You can just turn on all the lights in the room you’re in and try to get it as bright as you can and do that during the first hour that you’re up. That will help your melatonin secretion start earlier in the evening,” she said
The Centers for Disease Control says healthy sleep habits include going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, avoiding large meals and alcohol before bedtime, maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise, and turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed
Romaker also said people who take supplements such as melatonin should pay attention to timing so it is most effective
“Take melatonin, about three milligrams, but you take that three to five hours before you want to go to bed. It’s not to help you go to sleep; it’s to help reset the body clock, and you’d take that for about two weeks,” she said
If you are having sleep problems and don’t know the cause, you can contact the UC Sleep Medicine program by calling (513)-475-7500
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