Daylight Time ends Sunday: 7 tips to help you adjust

Daylight Time ends

Are you a fan of daylight saving time? Ready or not, the U.S. and Canada continue to use daylight saving time. So at 2 a.m. on Sunday November 5, 2023, clocks in most U.S. states and Canadian provinces are due to be turned back one hour (European countries already changed last weekend). So, fall back, clock-watchers!

And, once again, Daylight Time ends for many of us. It’ll begin again on Sunday, March 10, 2024 (and March 31 in Europe).

The memory tool for your clocks is spring forward, fall back. Easy to do with clocks. Less easy – for many – with our own bodies. According to WebMD, in general, “gaining” an hour in the fall is easier than “losing” an hour in the spring. But many report feeling groggy or off kilter in the week following both the spring and fall time changes.

Didn’t the U.S. Congress vote on that last year?

Also you may remember, last year a bill to make daylight saving time permanent was passed by the U.S. Senate. However, it was never voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives.

And the bill was introduced again this year. As for its progress in 2023, Reuters said:

The group of senators reintroduced the bill again this year and it has been referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation to review. The bill would need to pass the Senate and House of Representatives before President Joe Biden can sign it into law.

So in the meantime, here are seven tips to help you adjust to the time change.

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7 tips to help you adjust

Here are some tips that might help you adjust, mostly adapted from a November 4, 2022, post by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine:

1. Get at least seven hours of sleep (for adults) or eight hours of sleep (for teens) per night before and after the time change. You can use the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s bedtime calculator to identify an appropriate nightly bedtime.

2. Gradually adjust your sleep and wake times. Shift your bedtime 15 to 20 minutes earlier each night for a few nights before the spring time change, or 15 to 20 minutes later each night for a few nights before the fall time change. (If you are experiencing chronic insufficient sleep, you should avoid shifting your bedtime later before the fall time change; you will benefit from getting an “extra” hour of sleep on the night when you “fall back” to standard time.)

3. Adjust other daily routines – such as mealtimes – to match your new schedule prior to the time change.

4. Set your clocks to the new time on Saturday evening, and go to bed at your normal bedtime.

5. Use light and darkness to help your body adjust. In the spring, head outside for some sunlight on Sunday morning and dim the lights in the evening. In the fall, minimize light exposure until your target morning wake time.

6. Adjusting your exposure to light and darkness will help set your body clock, which regulates the timing of sleep and alertness.

7. Get plenty of sleep on Sunday night to ensure you’re rested and ready for the week ahead.

Good luck!

Bottom line: Daylight Time ends on November 5, 2023, in North America. Here are 7 tips from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to help you adjust.

Read more: Daylight saving time: 10 tips to make it easier