HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Getting through Saturday’s time change — spring ahead an hour, for Daylight Saving time — can be easy, according to Andrew Gall, assistant professor of psychology at Hope College.
Gall is a behavioral neuroscientist who studies, among other brain topics, sleep and circadian rhythms. (Listen to his WHTC podcast.)
He says getting into bed 30 minutes earlier tonight and tomorrow can reduce the affect of one less hour of sleep Sunday morning.
“You’ll be able to adjust better to that, because you’re starting to change your clock in advance of the actual clocks changing,” he said. “So, your internal clock can adjust before the actual time change occurs.”
In the event you don’t get that early start on an early bedtime, he said there are a few ways to deal with the minor sleep deprevation you may feel over the next week.
“Get yourself prepared. Go to bed earlier,” he said. “The best way to prepare for that is to just limit the amount of caffeine that you take in, and reduce the amount of light exposure at night, which will help people fall asleep easier in the coming days.”
That advice means no TVs, smartphones, tablets or laptops in the bedroom, of course.
