Spring Forward! on Sunday

The switch comes twice a year – this time, we spring forward. It’s time to move our clocks ahead Sunday, March 9 at 2 a.m. for Daylight Saving Time.

For some, “losing” that hour of sleep can do more than make you tired and cranky. It can also harm your health. Darker mornings and more evening light can knock your body clock out of whack.

What happens to your brain when it’s lighter later? The brain has a master clock that is set by exposure to sunlight and darkness. This circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle that determines when we become sleepy and when we’re more alert. The patterns change with age, one reason that early-to-rise youngsters evolve into hard-to-wake teens.

Morning light resets the rhythm. By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begin to surge, triggering drowsiness. Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.

It can take your body and sleeping patterns 5 to 7 days to reset.

Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and numerous other problems. And that circadian clock affects more than sleep, also influencing things like heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones and metabolism.

So, what can you do to prepare for daylight saving time?

• Gradually shift bedtimes about 15 or 20 minutes earlier for several nights before the time change.
• Get at least 7 hours of sleep on the days before and after the transition. Try and keep your betimes consistent and stick to your normal routine.
• Go outside for early morning sunshine that first week of daylight saving time.
• Moving up daily routines, like dinner time or when you exercise, may help cue your body to start adapting, sleep experts advise.
• Some experts say eating more protein and less carbs will help. Don’t overeat.
• Afternoon naps and caffeine as well as evening light from phones and other electronic devices can make adjusting to an earlier bedtime even harder. Quit caffeinated beverages 4-6 hours before bedtime.

For years, the United States has toyed with the idea of getting rid of Daylight Saving Time all together.

Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t make the spring switch, sticking to standard time year-round along with Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.