Daylight Savings Time is coming to an end soon, and while the start of Daylight Savings Time in the spring comes with more negative health consequences – such as a higher risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and depression – the clocks are “falling back” ” in November also brings some adverse health outcomes. Here’s your guide to the end of daylight saving time – and how to deal with the time change.

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When does daylight saving time start and end?

Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 3 at 2 a.m. local time, when we “fall back” and get an extra hour of sleep. We gain an extra hour of daylight in the morning, but lose an hour of daylight in the evening.

Daylight saving time will start again next year on Sunday, March 9, 2025, when we will “spring forward” and lose an hour of sleep. We get an extra hour of light in the evening, but the mornings are darker.

A brief history of daylight saving time

Daylight saving time was introduced in the United States in 1918 as a way to save energy during World War I. However, studies have shown that it doesn’t actually save much energy.

Some have credited Founding Father Benjamin Franklin with originating the idea of ​​a seasonal time change after he proposed regulating time in a satirical essay, but the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia has disputed this. Contrary to popular belief, farmers did not advocate daylight saving time either; agricultural groups even called for the repeal of daylight saving time in 1919, saying the biannual changes disrupted their workday.

The Uniform Time Act of 1966 aligned most of the country by mandating national start and end dates for daylight saving time, although states were still allowed to opt out.

Who doesn’t participate in daylight saving time?

These US states and territories have chosen not to change their clocks twice a year:

How the end of daylight saving time affects your health

The shift back to standard time in November may feel easier than the adjustment to daylight saving time in March. After all, we gain an extra hour of sleep, right? But experts say there are still negative consequences for our health.

• Sleep patterns are disrupted. Shelby Harris, a psychologist and director of sleep health at Sleepopolis, told Yahoo Life that an extra hour of sleep can still cause sleep problems. “Gaining an hour of sleep in the fall can make us wake up early in the morning and have difficulty falling asleep at night,” she explains.

• The risk of stroke increases. A 2016 Finnish study found that turning the clock forward or back an hour temporarily increases the risk of ischemic stroke – the most common type of stroke caused by a clot blocking blood flow to the brain – likely thanks to the disruption of the circadian rhythm (also known as our circadian rhythm). internal clock of the body).

• Depression is increasing. A 2016 Danish study found that depression diagnoses increase “immediately after” standard time begins in the fall. Some of that may have to do with the onset of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which affects about 5% of the U.S. population and is caused by shorter, darker, and colder days.

• Car accidents are on the rise. A spokeswoman for AAA’s Auto Club Group told the Associated Press that earlier sunsets in the afternoon mean darker driving conditions in the evening and more accidents on the road.

How to prepare for the time change

Here are some expert tips to make the fall time change more bearable.

• Gradually adjust your sleep and wake times. Natalie D. Dautovich, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and an environmental scientist at the National Sleep Foundation, told Yahoo Life that she suggests gradually reducing your bedtime and wakeup times by 15 minutes in the days leading up to the daylight. saves time when finishing – so it’s not such a big shock to your system when the clock jumps an hour.

• Have a good bedtime routine. Having a regular bedtime routine can help your body know it’s time to wind down and make it easier to adjust to time changes. Judy Ho, a certified clinical and forensic neuropsychologist, told Yahoo Life that you should have a soothing evening routine that involves putting away all electronic devices, especially those with blue light. Harris also suggests avoiding strenuous exercise, heavy meals, caffeine, or alcohol right before bed.

• Provide plenty of sunlight during the day – and first thing in the morning. At night and before it’s time to wake up, keep your room dark with the curtains closed so you can get an extra hour of sleep. When it is time to get up, make sure there is enough sunlight. Jamie Zeitzer, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, told Yahoo Life that you should expose yourself to bright light as soon as possible. “If you get out and about early in the morning and get that good dose of light, you can transition to the new time faster,” says Zeitzer. A healthy dose of sunlight every day could also prevent depression – reducing your risk by up to 20%, a study shows. If natural sunlight isn’t an option, try light therapy or a sun lamp, which can improve mood and sleep quality at night.

• Stick to your new sleep and wake times. Once the clocks change, be consistent and stick to your new wake-up and bedtime routines, and try not to take naps during the day.