Here’s what you need to know about the annual ritual of ‘changing the clocks’.

Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 3 at 2 a.m. local time. Then we “fall back” by setting our clocks back one hour. It marks the return to standard time. It’s a good idea to change the clock before you go to bed on Saturday night so you don’t forget.

Your cell phone should automatically switch to and from daylight saving time since it is built into the operating system. However, other clocks must be changed manually.

The good part? Everyone gets an extra hour of sleep that Sunday.

Generally shorter days. The end of daylight saving time shifts both sunrise and sunset one hour earlier. On the East Coast, this means sunrise is closer to 6:30 AM (at least for about a month before returning to about 7 AM), while sunset shifts to about 4:30 PM (around 4:15 PM after Thanksgiving).

Sunrise on Sunday, November 3, takes place at 6:20 am and the sun sets earlier – at 4:35 pm. And accordingly, if you go to work or school on Monday, sunrise is at 6:21 am. sunset at 4:33 p.m

Daylight saving time began in the United States in 1918 during World War I (then it was known as “wartime”). Today, every state except Hawaii and parts of Arizona observe the tradition. The U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands also do not adhere to this practice.

Due to the increased darkness in the morning and afternoon, switching back to standard time can sometimes affect our mental health and physical well-being in different ways.

According to Dr. Michelle DiBlasi, chief of inpatient psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center, says that with less exposure to sunlight, “there are lower levels of active serotonin in our brains, which causes certain people to feel more depressed. Second, with increasing darkness, people often produce more melatonin in their brains, which can make them feel more depressed or sluggish,” interfering with our ability to maintain a consistent sleep-wake schedule.

“These hormonal disruptions can confuse the body into actually thinking it’s nighttime and therefore feeling the need to sleep more and experience less energy,” says Dr. David Mischoulon, a professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Depression Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Experts say there are ways to deal with this biennial transition and the inevitable winter problems.

“People can make an effort to get outside more because any exposure to the outdoors, even during the winter months, exposes you to sunlight, which can help,” says Mischoulon.

DiBlasi said she always recommends people really take the time to “take care of themselves” as the year comes to an end and the days get shorter. “Sometimes small changes to your routine can have a big impact on improving your mood,” DiBlasi said, noting that “things like a well-balanced and healthy diet, exercising regularly and prioritizing a good routine before bed goes, so you get a good feeling. good night’s sleep” are all effective in improving your mood.

Equally important, she said, is to “stay socially connected, because it can be easy to isolate in the winter months, which can make you feel worse and more lonely.”

The loss of sunlight can also affect our appetite, often in the form of a carbohydrate craving. Mischoulon said this is often called “hibernation behavior,” a desire to sleep more and accumulate more calories. But it’s important to break out of that rut. “It is best to sleep consistently for a reasonable amount of time every day as much as possible. Avoiding excessive carbohydrates can also help improve your mood and get you out of a groggy, sluggish cycle, he said.

To cope with the time change, experts say, it’s best to adjust to the shift between sunlight and darkness several days in advance, starting with consistent sleep and wake times.

Experts say you should make a point of getting outside for at least part of the workday.

“For example, go out to eat instead of having lunch at your desk or in the office canteen,” says Mischoulon. “Even a short walk outside during the day exposes you to light. You can also make a point of getting outside more on weekends, especially during the day when you can be exposed to sunlight. Even a short walk can help.”

“It can be challenging, but if you can find even ten-minute breaks a day to get outside, it can be helpful,” DiBlasi added.

Even if you spend a lot of time indoors, a therapy lamp or light box can help, they said. “A therapy lamp can expose you to light with the right wavelength in a controlled manner,” says Mischoulon. “Normally, two sessions a day of 20 to 30 minutes each can be enough to combat or prevent seasonal depression,” added Mischoulon, who suggested placing the lamp at your desk “or next to your favorite chair where you could sit. watch TV and turn it on while you do other things so you can incorporate it into your regular routine.

Mischoulon said that sometimes the winter doldrums can progress into something more serious, such as seasonal affective disorder, and that it would be a good idea to get an evaluation from a medical professional. “This could be your GP, psychiatrist or other mental health practitioner.”

“Seasonal affective disorder or seasonal depression is a psychiatric disorder and not just a temporary condition known as ‘winter blues,’” Mischoulon said. “If you notice severe symptoms and/or feel impaired to the extent that you cannot function normally at work or in your home life, it is important that you have a professional assessment to determine whether some form of therapy is needed to help you to help. feel like your normal self.”

In recent years, the idea of ​​ending the time change ritual for good has gained popularity in the US.

The Sunshine Protection Act, which aims to eliminate biannual clock changes by putting the country permanently on daylight saving time, was introduced several years ago, but there have been challenges on its way to becoming law. Despite the unanimous support of the Senate in 2022, the bill must still be approved by the House of Representatives.

More than thirty states have also considered legislation over the years related to ending the practice.

The good thing to remember is that even though daylight will continue to diminish from here on out and our days will become shorter, we will turn the corner again on December 21, at the winter solstice. December 21st is the shortest day of the year, but after that our days gradually become lighter and brighter each afternoon.

Daylight saving time returns on March 9, 2025, the second Sunday of the month. Then we set our clocks forward. A good way to remember this is to think of the arrival of spring – hence we ‘leap forward’.

Marianne Mizera can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @MareMizera.