Doctor’s Six Tips to Protect Sleep as Daylight Saving Ends
WHO:
NY Post - The article reports that turning the clocks back at the end of daylight saving time has been linked to difficulty falling and staying asleep.
Fox News - Dr. John La Puma is a California physician and expert in nature-based medicine who advises making small routine adjustments to ease the time change.
Fox News - Dr. Saema Tahir is a New York City sleep medicine doctor who offered advice about alcohol, caffeine and outdoor light.
Fox News - The National Institutes of Health advises contacting a healthcare provider for persistent sleep problems, frequent daytime fatigue or sleep loss that interferes with daily activities.
WHAT:
NY Post - Ongoing sleep loss can take a toll on health.
Fox News - Some research has suggested the fall time change could have cardiovascular benefits.
Fox News - La Puma said lost evening sunlight can suppress serotonin and melatonin production and contribute to depressed mood.
Fox News - La Puma recommended shifting bedtime, meals and wake-up time later in 15-minute increments. His example: a 10 p.m. bedtime becomes 10:15 p.m. Friday and 10:30 p.m. Saturday before the clock change.
Fox News - Tahir advised keeping alcohol moderate, finishing drinking a few hours before bed and avoiding caffeine after early afternoon. She said alcohol can disrupt sleep during the second half of the night, while caffeine remains in the system for hours.
Fox News - La Puma recommended getting outside later in the afternoon; Tahir recommended outdoor light within an hour of waking each day through winter after adjusting.
Fox News - La Puma suggested bedtime rituals such as using a paper workbook, drinking chamomile tea, taking a bath or using aromatherapy.
Fox News - La Puma recommended limiting caffeine after noon, stopping screen use at least an hour before bed and maintaining the same wake-up time on weekdays and weekends. He warned screen light can suppress melatonin and night mode may not fully prevent this.
Fox News - La Puma cited an eight-year study of about 60,000 people that linked consistent sleep and wake times to a 19% lower risk of death; he said sleep schedules affect heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular mortality.
WHY:
Fox News - La Puma said the body’s internal clock does not automatically adjust to the clock on the wall: “your body clock is still on the old time.” He said people may wake, feel hungry and become sleepy an hour early, while afternoon light disappears.
Fox News - Tahir said light is the body clock’s strongest signal; evening light shifts it later, while morning light supports mood and daytime alertness through darker months.
HOW:
Fox News - La Puma said, “You move your bedtime and meals the same 15 minutes each time,” and described later-day daylight as a signal that “the day is running long.”
Fox News - La Puma described bedtime rituals as specific cues telling the brain and body, “I’m winding down so I can go to sleep.”
(UPDATED October 30, 2026 06:11 UTC)
The fall clock change can disrupt sleep, and ongoing sleep loss may harm health. Shift bedtimes, meals and wake-up times gradually, while limiting late caffeine and alcohol. Seek morning daylight, build calming bedtime routines, and consult a provider about persistent problems.
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(UPDATED October 30, 2026 06:00 UTC)
The fall clock change can make it harder to fall and stay asleep, and ongoing sleep loss can harm health, though some research has suggested the shift may offer cardiovascular benefits. Doctors recommend easing the transition by moving bedtime, meals and wake-up time later in 15-minute steps, getting outdoor light at the right times, limiting late caffeine and alcohol, and keeping a consistent sleep schedule. If sleep problems persist, daytime fatigue is frequent or sleep loss interferes with daily activities, the National Institutes of Health advises contacting a healthcare provider.