Welcome to UTHealth Houston’s newsroom series “Ask the Expert.” Our top doctors explore pressing health challenges. This edition covers daylight saving time and setting healthy sleep habits.
March brings the promise of warmer weather and longer days. But adjusting to changing clocks can be difficult. Here’s how to maintain good sleep habits as the clocks move forward to March 8th.
How can people prepare for clocks moving faster?
Because daylight saving shifts occur on weekends, most people can usually accommodate the shifts without feeling pressured into their workday schedules. However, there is strong evidence that sleep deprivation around daylight saving time can have negative health effects. This time is especially difficult for people who have difficulty falling asleep.
If possible, delay your natural sleep schedule by 15 minutes each day during the week leading up to daylight saving time. Just practicing this tip a few days before the time change will help.
The best solution is to wake up 15 minutes earlier each day to get some sunlight. Sunlight is the most effective gatekeeper for our circadian rhythms.
If you need more help adjusting, adults can use low-dose melatonin of 3 to 5 milligrams.
How much sleep do adults need?Kids?
Expert consensus is that most adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep. In children, there are changes depending on age. Teens may need 8 to 10 hours, school-aged children 9 to 12 hours, and preschoolers 10 to 13 hours.
What are your tips for getting a good night’s sleep?
The most important thing you can do for your sleep is to follow a consistent schedule, within realistic limits. Avoid caffeine about 8 hours before bedtime, and avoid strenuous exercise, heavy meals, and alcohol about 3 hours before bedtime. The sleeping environment should be quiet and dark.
How can people maintain long-term healthy sleep habits?
Making sleep more than just a flexible overtime slot is an important mindset for developing and maintaining long-term healthy sleep habits.
Beds are for sleeping only, not for lounging around or thinking aimlessly. Addressing sleep disorders is equally important, as many sleep disorders are treatable.
However, worrying about sleep is counterproductive. Sleep is a natural biological process that exists to perform many important biological functions. The human body repeats cycles of rest and activity, and daytime activity adjusts the body for healthy sleep. Maintaining a regular lifestyle as much as possible is the long-term solution to maintaining healthy sleep habits.
Posted by: Sudha Tallavajhula, Maryland | Professor of Neurology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and a sleep medicine physician and neurologist at UT Physicians. All quotes must be attributed to her.
