GREENSBORO, N.C. — Daylight Saving Time, it is in fact this weekend. You are going to turn your clock forward one hour and yes, lose an hour of sleep.
What should you do now to make it hurt a little bit less?
"Gradually shift your child's bedtime over the next few days, every evening advance the bedtime by 15 minutes. So, if you're child's bedtime is normally 8 PM you can shift it to 7:45 PM, then the next night 7:30 PM and the next night," said Dr. Pallavi Reddy, a sleep specialist with Cone Health Medical & Dental.
By the way, what works for the kids works for adults too. Adjust your sleep schedule for the next couple of days and your future self will thank you.
Now, what if you already have trouble sleeping? Is it a normal occurrence to wake up in the middle of the night, or to toss and turn?
Consumer Reports surveyed more than 2,000 adults in the U.S. and nine out of ten said they had experienced at least one sleep challenge in the previous 12 months.
Our sleep expert says, if you can't sleep, just get out of bed. You should read, listen to soft music, or meditate.
What you don't want to do is get on the phone or watch TV.
“Avoid staying in bed. Break the cycle. Simply distracting yourself from the frustration of not sleeping can make you sleepy. So, when you are drowsy, get back into bed and try again,” said Reddy.
Whether you like Daylight Saving Time or not, it's happening Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 2 AM.