There’s a strange collective ritual that happens every autumn: we wake up one morning feeling as though time has shifted underneath us, and for a few days, everything feels just a little off. On Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 a.m., daylight saving time officially ends, and most clocks across the United States fall back one hour. On paper, that means an extra hour of sleep, a small gift from the calendar before the long, dark winter sets in. But according to Dr. Pedram Navab, a Stanford-trained neurologist and sleep medicine specialist, the reality is more complicated. That extra hour can actually throw your body’s internal clock into confusion, leaving you groggy, restless, and out of sync for days. As Navab puts it, “The clock gives you an extra hour, but your brain doesn’t read the clock. Light, wake time and daily habits tell your body when it’s time to sleep.” In other words, the wall clock and your biological clock are not the same thing. You might feel like you’ve gained something, but your brain and body are still operating on their own ancient, light-sensitive rhythms. The shift may seem minor—just one hour—but it can be surprisingly disruptive. Navab says the body needs at least three to four days to adjust, and for some people, especially those who are sensitive to schedule changes, it can take even longer. The good news is that you don’t have to simply suffer through the transition. There are practical, gentle ways to help your body recalibrate, and they don’t require anything extreme. They just require paying attention to the signals you’re already giving your brain every day.
The single most powerful thing you can do during the time change is to hold your wake time steady. When the clocks fall back, your alarm may go off at the same hour on the clock, but your body might feel like it’s much earlier—or much later—than usual. On that first Sunday morning, you might find yourself wide awake at 5:30 a.m., staring at the ceiling, wondering why your brain is so alert. The temptation is to stay in bed, to roll over and try to catch up on the sleep you feel you’re owed. But Navab advises against that. If you wake early after the change, get out of bed. Don’t let yourself drift back to sleep to compensate for the lost or gained hour. Adding even an extra hour of sleep can knock your circadian rhythm further off balance, and it will make it harder for your body to acclimate to the new schedule. Instead, treat that early wake-up as an opportunity. Get up, move around, make coffee, and let your body know that morning has begun. Your internal clock is deeply influenced by the first signals it receives after waking, so a consistent wake time anchors your whole day. Light is another essential anchor. As the evenings grow darker, and as the morning light shifts, your brain relies on sunlight to know where it is in the daily cycle. Navab suggests getting outside soon after waking, even if it’s just for a few minutes, and seeking out daylight in the afternoon as well. That exposure helps reinforce the message that daytime is for alertness and nighttime is for rest. It’s a simple intervention, but it can make a profound difference in how quickly your body adjusts to the time change. So resist the pull of the warm bed, open the curtains, step outside, and let the light do some of the work for you.
As the day goes on, your evening habits matter just as much as your morning routines. In the hours before bed, your environment should be telling your brain that sleep is coming. That means dimming bright lights and putting away screens. Phones, computers, and tablets are particularly problematic because the blue light they emit can suppress melatonin and trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. Navab recommends keeping phones and computers in another room entirely, so you’re not tempted to scroll through social media or answer one last email while lying in bed. If you’re someone who likes to fall asleep with the television on low, you don’t have to give that up—Navab says that’s fine if it’s something you’re used to. The key is to avoid introducing new, stimulating light sources right before sleep. And here’s another important piece of advice: don’t force an earlier bedtime just because the clock says it’s time. For many people, especially those sensitive to schedule changes, trying to go to bed earlier than usual can backfire. You’ll lie there, wide awake, feeling frustrated, and then associate your bed with stress. Instead, Navab suggests shifting your sleep and mealtimes gradually. Over the four days following the time change, move them later by 15 minutes each day. This gradual adjustment gives your body a chance to adapt without feeling like it’s being yanked around. It’s a much kinder approach than trying to overhaul your entire schedule overnight. There’s also a safety component to the transition that’s easy to overlook. Because darkness arrives earlier, the evening commute becomes more hazardous. Drivers and pedestrians alike need to be extra alert, especially during that first week when everyone is a little sleepier than usual. It’s a good time to slow down, pay attention, and give yourself extra time to get where you’re going.
When it comes to sleep aids and supplements, Navab has clear opinions. He does not recommend sleeping pills. They can leave you feeling groggy and can interfere with your body’s natural sleep architecture. Instead, he suggests a much more modest approach: one milligram of over-the-counter melatonin. That’s it. A tiny dose, he says, is all you need to signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down. He also recommends making magnesium glycinate a regular part of your supplement routine—about 125 milligrams—along with Vitamin D. These nutrients support relaxation and overall sleep health. But supplements are only one piece of the puzzle. Navab also advocates for a 12-hour overnight fast, which is less complicated than it sounds. It spans the two hours before bedtime, the eight hours you spend sleeping, and the two hours after you wake up. So if you finish eating by 8 p.m., you wouldn’t eat again until 8 a.m. This fasting window gives your digestive system a chance to rest and helps align your metabolism with your circadian rhythm. What you eat before bed matters too. Navab warns against sugary, salty, heavy, or greasy foods close to bedtime. “No candy or chips,” he says, and he’s serious about that. These foods make your body work harder to digest them, which can keep you awake and disrupt the quality of your sleep. If you genuinely need something before bed, he suggests tart cherry juice, yogurt, fruits, or anything smooth and light. The goal is to avoid making your body labor through a heavy meal while you’re trying to drift off. This is one of those areas where small choices can have a big impact. A handful of chips might feel comforting in the moment, but it can leave you tossing and turning hours later.
Beyond the physical habits, Navab emphasizes the importance of consistency and mental calm. A consistent bedtime is crucial, not just during the time change but every night. Your body thrives on predictability, and going to bed at roughly the same time each night reinforces your internal clock. Silence is ideal for sleep, but if you’re accustomed to playing the TV softly in the background, that can be soothing too. The important thing is that the noise is familiar and low, not something that grabs your attention and keeps you alert. Another simple but powerful technique is keeping a notebook by your bed. Before you close your eyes, write down the problems, worries, and tasks that are circling in your mind. Get them out of your head and onto paper, then leave them there until morning. This can be incredibly freeing, especially for people who tend to lie awake at night replaying conversations or worrying about the next day. But Navab takes it one step further. He also suggests writing down four or five things that went right that day. It sounds simple, almost too simple, but it has a real effect on your attitude. Ending your day with gratitude, even on a difficult day, shifts your focus away from stress and toward something positive. It’s a practice that doesn’t require any special equipment or training, just a few minutes of reflection. Over time, it can change the way you approach sleep and the way you think about your life. The notebook becomes a tool for both letting go of worries and savoring small victories, a quiet ritual that prepares your mind for rest.
Ultimately, sleep is not a luxury or an inconvenience. It is one of the most important factors in keeping your mind and body at its best. As Navab says, “If a person doesn’t take care of themselves during a time change and lets their personal situations, medications or food get in the way of sleep, it will keep sleep away and make the next few days difficult to navigate.” That’s the real message here. The time change is a natural moment to pause and think about how you’re treating yourself. It’s a reminder that your body is not a machine that can be reset with the flip of a switch. It needs light, movement, good food, and rest. It needs consistency and patience. It needs you to be gentle with yourself, especially during transitions. The extra hour of sleep you get this weekend is not the point. The point is how you care for yourself in the days that follow. So take a walk in the morning, dim the lights at night, put away your phone, write down your worries, and be grateful for the small things that went right. Give your body the time and support it needs to adjust. And remember, this too will pass. In a few days, your internal clock will catch up, and you’ll settle into the rhythm of the season. Until then, be kind to yourself, stay alert on the road, and know that a good night’s rest is one of the best gifts you can give yourself—not just this week, but every week.
