CLEVELAND — Sure, daylight saving time gives us some extra light at night, but waking up in the dark and throwing your circadian rhythm off, even just for an hour, can have a real impact.
"We're not as alert as we drive, there's an increase in motor vehicle accidents, an increase in cardiovascular incidents, our mood is affected, that week after that one hour shift where we lose sleep we have a myriad of things that happen unfortunately, all of which are negative," said Dr. Sally Ibrahim, sleep specialist with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
Experts suggest starting now to get to bed at least fifteen to thirty minutes earlier. When you wake up and it's dark on Monday, try to get outside and get as much natural light as possible as the sun comes up, or use a light therapy lamp, often used for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder, to help in the morning.
For those with headaches and migraines, the time change can be a trigger. Most are told to keep a normal routine, shifting an hour can have an impact. The other change that comes this time of year are shifts in the weather that also trigger migraines.
"Barometric pressure change and weather related, patients will say anytime you go through a roller coaster of temperatures up and down or some rain or storms can trigger migraines," added Dr. Emad Estermalik from Cleveland Clinic.
If you find yourself dealing with several migraines a month and OTC medicines aren't working, it's time to see a specialist.
And don't forget, Monday is National Napping Day. Make sure you take advantage of that, too.