Extra sleep as clocks fall back an hour at 2 a.m. Sunday
Posted Nov 3, 2012 7:59 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
For all those people feeling a little tired these days, you’ll be treated to an extra hour of sleep this weekend.
Daylight Saving Time officially ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, when we’ll turn back the clock one hour.
So while we’ll have an extra hour of sleep before waking up Sunday morning, it also means your morning commute on Monday will be brighter. However, your commute home will be darker.
It also signifies that the days are getting shorter, as we approach the Winter Solstice, or shortest day of the year, set for December 21.
Daylight Saving Time will return on Sunday, March 10, 2013, when we’ll switch our clocks ahead an hour, “springing forward” into the longer and warmer days.
While many clocks and electronic devices are now automatically synched to update as Daylight Saving Time ends, some won’t, and it is best to double-check your devices.
Dr. Colleen Carney, the director of the Sleep and Depression Lab at Ryerson University, says this is a good time to see how we can work extra sleep into our lives.
“Gaining an extra hour, considering that two-thirds of people say that they’re actually sleep deprived, it’s probably a really good thing, Carney said.
“It’s a small thing, but it’s probably something we’re going to enjoy on Sunday morning.”
Changing your sleeping habits to ensure a more consistent pattern is extremely important, according to Carney.
“The more regular you are in your sleep habits, the more robust and the easier it is for you to adjust to these changes,” Carney said.
“The better sleep, the better mood, attention, concentration.”
