How Switching to Daylight Saving Time This Spring Can Make Sleep Disorders Worse
Twice a year, millions of Americans adjust their clocks for daylight saving time. While losing or gaining an hour may seem minor, the shift can significantly disrupt sleep patterns. For most people, it takes several days to adjust. For those with underlying sleep disorders, especially circadian rhythm disorders, the effects can be much more severe, especially the switch in the spring to daylight saving time.
At Restful Sleep MD, we frequently see how time changes throw patients off balance. Even a one-hour shift can disrupt the body’s internal clock, leading to fatigue, mood changes, and difficulty functioning during the day.
Why Daylight Saving Time Affects Sleep
Your body runs on a 24-hour internal clock known as the circadian rhythm. This biological system regulates sleep, alertness, hormone production, and body temperature. When clocks shift forward or backward, your internal rhythm does not instantly adjust.
Research shows that the springtime change, when we “lose” an hour, is particularly disruptive. Studies have linked the shift to increased rates of workplace accidents, car crashes, and even short-term spikes in heart-related events in the days following the change. Sleep deprivation, even by one hour, can reduce cognitive performance and reaction time.
For healthy individuals, the body gradually adapts. For those with circadian rhythm disorders, the disruption can be prolonged and intense.
How Circadian Rhythm Disorders Make It Harder
Circadian rhythm disorders occur when your internal clock is misaligned with the typical day-night schedule. Conditions such as delayed sleep phase disorder, shift work sleep disorder, and jet lag disorder can make it difficult to fall asleep or wake at socially appropriate times.
An estimated 10 percent of people may experience delayed sleep phase disorder, particularly adolescents and young adults. Shift work sleep disorder affects up to 20 percent of individuals who work nontraditional hours.
When daylight saving time shifts the clock, it adds another layer of misalignment. Patients may struggle with:
Difficulty falling asleep at the new bedtime
Trouble waking up on time
Daytime sleepiness and brain fog
Irritability or mood changes
Reduced productivity
For individuals already battling fatigue, this additional disruption can feel overwhelming.
Personalized Care for Better Sleep
Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown, a PENN-trained sleep medicine expert, specializes in diagnosing and managing circadian rhythm disorders. At Restful Sleep MD, she offers a personalized, concierge approach that focuses on identifying the root causes of sleep schedule challenges.
Circadian rhythm disorders can disrupt your daily life, leaving you feeling out of sync and exhausted. Through detailed evaluations, sleep tracking, and tailored treatment plans, Dr. Afolabi-Brown helps patients restore balance and achieve healthy, restorative sleep.
Treatment plans may include:
Strategic light therapy
Melatonin timing adjustments
Behavioral sleep interventions
Customized sleep-wake scheduling
Guidance for managing shift work or travel
Rather than offering one-size-fits-all advice, care is tailored to each patient’s unique schedule, lifestyle, and biological rhythms.
Regain Control of Your Sleep
While daylight saving time affects nearly everyone, those with circadian rhythm disorders often feel the impact most intensely. If you find that time changes leave you struggling for weeks, it may be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder.
At Restful Sleep MD, we are committed to helping patients in Philadelphia and beyond achieve consistent, restorative sleep. With expert evaluation and individualized treatment, you can regain control of your sleep schedule and feel more aligned, energized, and alert year-round.
If daylight saving time has disrupted your sleep more than usual, now is the time to seek expert care and reclaim your rest. Contact our office today to schedule your sleep disorder consultation.
