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When do we ‘relapse’? How to prepare for the time change
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When do we ‘relapse’? How to prepare for the time change

FILE photo illustration (Photo by CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

The switch from summer time to standard time is coming, where we trade an extra hour of sleep for less daylight.

‘Falling back’ should be easier on your body than the spring change, but it can still take a while to adjust your sleep habits, not to mention the downsides of leaving work in the dark or trying to exercise while there there is still enough light.

Some people with seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression usually linked to the shorter days and less sunlight in the fall and winter, may also have difficulty with this.

Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming time change:

When does time change?

US Daylight Saving Time ends on November 3 at 2 a.m. local time, which means you’ll have to set your clocks back one hour.

Standard time lasts until March 9, when we “spring forward” again with the return of daylight saving time.

Does time change affect sleep?

Even a change of time on the clock can throw off sleep schedules – because even though the clocks change, work and school start times remain the same.

RELATED: Poor sleep quality linked to faster brain aging, research shows

That’s a problem because so many people are already sleep deprived. About 1 in 3 American adults sleep less than the recommended seven-plus hours per night, and more than half of American teens don’t get the recommended eight-plus hours during the week.

Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and a host of other problems.

How to prepare for the time change

Some people try to prepare for the shock of the time change by changing their bedtimes little by little in the days before the time change. There are ways to ease the adjustment, including more sunshine to help reset your circadian rhythm for healthy sleep.

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Will the US ever get rid of time changes?

Some health groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said it’s time to do away with timers and that sticking to standard time is better aligned with the sun — and human biology.

Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do – especially in Europe and North America – the date the clock is changed varies.

Two states – Arizona and Hawaii – do not change and remain on standard time.

Lawmakers occasionally propose doing away with the time change altogether. The most prominent recent effort, a now-stalled bipartisan bill called the Sunshine Protection Act, proposes to make daylight saving time permanent. Health experts say lawmakers did it backwards: Standard time should be made permanent.