How to get ahead of daylight saving time, according to sleep docs

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On Sunday, March 11 (at 2 a.m. to be exact), it’s time to push our clocks up an hour, so that it will actually be 3.a.m. It’s a seemingly minor transition, but one that has long attracted controversy. A 2012 survey by Rasmussen Reports found that as many as 40 percent of Americans were in favor of eliminating Daylight Saving Time, and over the years, certain cities, such as Alberta, Canada, have lobbied to scrap it.

Hey, it’s just an hour, what’s the big deal? Well, any of us who has dealt with insomnia or poor sleep can vouch for how valuable that hour can be, and even one hour’s loss can throw a healthy sleeper’s Circadian rhythm out of whack. What can we do to prepare for the change, and acclimate quickly? We consulted sleep experts to build a plan.

5 things to do the day before

1. Make a to-do list or plan a fun trip to beat the anxiety

One of the biggest hurdles round DST for me isn’t the loss of the hour itself (though that is definitely tough), but the anxiety of knowing I’m losing (or have lost) an hour. Often I can’t sleep well the Saturday before as I wait in dread to see 2 a.m. become 3 a.m., and then on Sunday I feel scatterbrained and nervous about starting a new week.

Dr. Shilpi Agarwal, a family medicine physician, recommends planning something exciting such as a vacation and to think about this at night when our anxiety tends to flare up. “Getting excited is the best way to artificially boost feel-good chemicals to go to bed without anxiety,” she says, while Chris Brantner, a certified sleep science coach at SleepZoo suggests making a to-do list for the following Monday before going to bed on Sunday night. “Research shows that this can help you offload worries of the next day, which can help reduce the anxiety that often comes with Mondays, thereby helping you get to sleep more easily,” says Bratner.

2. Set an alarm for an earlier bedtime

A tactic that Dr. Agarwal swears by not only for her patients, but also for herself, is setting an alarm that tells you when it’s time for bed.

“You can easily get lost in what you’re doing, so setting an alarm can help remind you that it’s time to wind down,” Dr. Agarwal tells NBC News BETTER. “Once the alarm goes off, wrap up what you’re doing, put down [any screened devices] and stay off them for at least twenty minutes before bedtime.”

3. Shut off screens even earlier than normal

The blue light emitted from screens is infamously bad for sleep hygiene as it can throw off our Circadian rhythm. Dr. Agarwal recommends turning smartphones and TVs off even earlier than normal (by a half hour or so) in the days leading up to the time change. The trick here is to try and fall asleep ahead of schedule so that you can make up for that lost hour in advance. Bratner recommends doing something relaxing instead like yoga poses or reading a book or yoga. “Anything that calms you down,” he says.

4. Tuck the kids in earlier and monitor their moods, appetite

Getting your kid to wind down for bed can be a challenge, but it’s important that they make up for the potential sleep loss, too. You should also cut their access off to screens earlier than normal (“10 to 20 minutes earlier, and nothing with blue light for 30 to 40 minutes before bed,” Agarwal says). “If they go to bed at 8, try and see if you can get them lying down by 7:30. Avoid sugary snacks, and have them skip the dessert before [the time change]. Kids naturally will take the sleep they need, but it’s important to recognize signs of tiredness: if they’re crankier than normal, or pickier with foods, they could be tired. If that’s the case, let them sleep a little bit longer.”

5. No caffeine after 12 p.m.

Just as you should be reducing your little ones’ sugar intake, you should be capping your caffeine consumption. Dr. Argwal recommends no caffeine after 12 p.m. starting this Sunday. “A lot of people drink coffee later in the afternoon and swear it doesn’t affect their sleep, but studies have shown that even if you can go to bed immediately after caffeine, you don’t get into deep sleep as quickly, so it’s a good idea to avoid it.”