Why we feel tired after Daylight Saving Time

 

Saturday night we shift our clocks forward an hour for Daylight Saving Time.

Erica Neumeister is a nurse practitioner at Gundersen Health System's sleep clinic.  She said the days following the time change put people at an increased risk for mood disorders, heart attacks, and work-related incidents.

That's because we all feel more tired and groggy as we get used to the time change.

But Neumeister said it's not just waking up an hour earlier, that makes us feel groggy.

"It's going to bed when it's lighter out and waking up when it's darker out, and our body isn't set to naturally want to wake up in those type of scenarios because of our circadian rhythm, or our natural time clock, isn't designed that way," said Neumeister.

Neumeister said you can help yourself feel less groggy after the time change by doing a couple things before Saturday night.

First, try to create a sleep bank by getting all the extra sleep you can.

Second, shift your sleep schedule to the new wake-up time in 15 to 20 minute increments.

Lastly, be gentle on yourself after the time change.  Try to avoid long car rides or things that make you extra tired for about a week.  Also, move important meetings to the back-end of the week so you can be at your best.

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