Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday as we fall back one hour, and while one hour might not seem like a lot, it can negatively affect our bodies.
This weekend is the time switch everyone celebrates, gaining an hour of sleep Saturday night when clocks return to standard time.
But registered nurse and clinical sleep educator Terry Cralle says whichever way we go, it’s not the best for our bodies.
"Any clock change disrupts our sleep, and any disruption and sleep is a bad thing. Sleep is so foundational to our health and well-being and literally just how we're performing on a day-to-day basis,” said Cralle. “So this is an important matter that we really need to address and do some major problem solving around."
Delaware lawmakers passed a bill in 2019 making daylight saving time permanent as long as neighboring states, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey do the same, but they haven’t.
Cralle notes Saturday night is a good time to sleep that extra hour to see how much it helps, then have a good talk with family about how important sleep can be for your body.
The change can be an issue for kids as it becomes brighter earlier in the morning.
"Get the little kiddos bedtime later by 30 minutes for 3 days before the clock change on November 6th. For instance, if your child goes to eight, put them to bed at 8:30 for 3 days prior to the clock change, and then once that's occurred put them back at their normal bedtime don't do it later keep him at the normal time. That should help keep them from waking up way too early Sunday morning," said Cralle.
Cralle adds keeping their rooms dark with blackout shades and curtains can also help for any clock change, including the summer it can be rough for kids to get to sleep when it’s not dark outside.
