How to Use Hatch Restore to Prepare for Daylight Saving Time (and Protect Your Sleep)

Daylight Saving Time can disrupt your natural sleep rhythm, but a few simple habits can help you stay on track. Gradual schedule adjustments, consistent routines, and gentle light cues from Hatch Restore make it easier to adapt.

Table of contents

1. Why Daylight Saving Time Disrupts Your Sleep
2. How to Prepare for the Time Change
3. Using Hatch Restore to Outsmart the Time Shift (and Other Daylight Saving Sleep Tips)
4. Key Takeaways
5. FAQs
6. References 

When Daylight Saving Time arrives, your body’s internal clock can feel out of whack — leaving you groggy, restless, or wide awake at the wrong hours (somebody cue the coffee maker). But with a few adjustments to your routine, you can help your circadian rhythm stay steady in spite of the time change. 

Gradually shifting your schedule, keeping routines as consistent as possible, and using sleep tools like Hatch Restore to guide your light exposure can make the time change seamless — so you can protect your sleep and wake up ready to take on the day, no matter what the clock says.

Why Daylight Saving Time Disrupts Your Sleep

Ever wonder why DST messes up sleep? As with many other sleep-related functions, there’s some interesting biology behind why you feel so tired after a time change.

The Science of Circadian Rhythms

Your circadian rhythm is the internal clock that determines when you get sleepy and when you have energy. Light is one of the primary drivers of your circadian rhythm — light exposure in the morning promotes the release of cortisol, a hormone that causes you to be alert. Dwindling light in the afternoon and evening prompts the release of melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy. 

During Daylight Saving Time, that natural rhythm can get thrown off. The sudden shift in light exposure — earlier mornings or darker evenings — can confuse your body’s internal clock, making it harder to fall asleep or wake up feeling rested. Adjusting your light routine gradually can help your circadian rhythm stay aligned, so you ease into the time change without losing sleep.

Common Symptoms of DST Sleep Disruption

Everyone experiences the effects of DST differently — and some people may be more or less sensitive to the change. Some of the most common symptoms of Daylight Saving Time sleep disruption include: 

• Morning grogginess that lasts longer than usual
• Trouble falling asleep or waking up at your normal times
• Daytime fatigue (or the urge to nap more often)
• Mood changes like irritability or low patience
• Difficulty focusing or staying alert during the day
• Increased cravings for caffeine or sugar as quick energy boosts

How to Prepare for the Time Change 

While Daylight Savings can affect your brain and body, with a little preparation, you can increase your resilience to the time change. The key is to help your body ease into the change by shifting your bed and wake times later each day and maintaining a consistent bedtime routine through the changes.

Gradually Adjust Bedtime and Wake Time

In the days leading up to November 2, gradually shift your bedtime and wake time 15 minutes later each night. For example, if you normally go to bed at 10 PM and wake up at 7 AM, try this schedule:

• October 29: Go to bed at 10:15 PM, wake up at 7:15 AM
• October 30: Go to bed at 10:30 PM, wake up at 7:30 AM
• October 31: Go to bed at 10:45 PM, wake up at 7:45 AM
• November 1: Go to bed at 11:00 PM, wake up at 8:00 AM
• November 2: Return to your regular 101 PM-7 AM schedule (the clock shifts back one hour overnight, so your body stays aligned)

Prioritize Consistency in Routines

Consistency is always helpful in supporting your circadian rhythm, but it’s especially important during time changes. As your body adjusts to the changing bedtimes, familiar sleep routines can serve as an anchor, making it easier to fall and stay asleep and wake up in the morning. 

No matter what time you’re going to bed, follow the same steps (ideally, in the same order) to cue to your brain and body that it’s time to unwind for bed. Relaxing activities before bed — such as deep breathing, journaling, stretching, or yoga — can help your body shift from the day’s activities to a calmer state, making it easier to fall asleep.

Using Hatch Restore to Outsmart the Time Shift (and Other Daylight Saving Sleep Tips)

Simple schedule adjustments and predictable routines can go a long way in supporting your circadian rhythm during Daylight Saving Time. Hatch Restore, the smart sleep device that promotes healthy sleep habits with routines, light, and audio, can make the transition even more seamless.

Sunrise Alarms to Ease Morning Wake-Ups

Regular sunlight exposure is critical for regulating your circadian rhythm. When your eyes sense natural or simulated sunlight, your brain releases cortisol, the hormone that helps you feel alert and energized. Along with spending a few minutes outdoors after waking, try setting a Sunrise Alarm on your Hatch Restore. 

The gradual light mimics a real sunrise, gently signaling your body that it’s time to wake up — no harsh alarms, just steady light that makes mornings easier (especially after Daylight Saving Time changes).

Sunset Light and Sounds to Wind Down Earlier

At night, your body relies on dim lights and calm environments to trigger melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep. About an hour before bed, put away bright screens, turn off overhead lights, and switch your Hatch Restore to a soothing Unwind Routine. Warm amber tones paired with gentle soundscapes — like ocean waves or soft sound baths — help your body recognize it’s time to rest. These cues can make falling asleep feel natural, even when Daylight Saving Time throws your schedule off.

When you create consistency in both your morning and evening light exposure, your sleep cycle stays steady — so you wake up refreshed and adjust to time changes with ease.

From early mornings to darker evenings, Hatch Restore helps you stay in rhythm. Discover how smart light and sound can make every time change feel effortless.

Key Takeaways

• Daylight Saving Time impacts your sleep because it shifts your exposure to natural light.
• You can ease the adjustment by gradually changing your bedtime and wake time in the days before the switch and keeping your bedtime routine predictable. 
• Tools like Hatch Restore’s Sunrise Alarm help reinforce natural rhythms through gentle light and sound cues, so your body stays in sync and you wake feeling more refreshed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to adjust to Daylight Saving Time?

Most people adjust within a few days to a week, though sensitivity varies. Keeping your sleep and wake times consistent and using light exposure (especially in the morning) can help your body adapt faster.

Why does Daylight Saving Time make me so tired?

The time shift temporarily misaligns your circadian rhythm, the body’s internal sleep-wake clock. Less morning light or later sunsets can delay melatonin release and disrupt the hormones that regulate energy and alertness.

How can Hatch Restore help me adjust to the time change?

Hatch Restore uses light and sound to cue your body for sleep and wakefulness. The Sunrise Alarm mimics natural dawn to help you wake up gently, while sunset light and sound routines use warm, dim light and calming sounds to prepare your body for rest — keeping your sleep schedule steady before, during, and after the time change.

References

1. Kantermann, T., Juda, M., Merrow, M., & Roenneberg, T. (2007). The human circadian clock’s seasonal adjustment is disrupted by daylight saving time. Current Biology, 17(22), 1996–2000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2007.10.025
2. Harrison, Y. (2013). The impact of daylight saving time on sleep and related behaviours. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 17(4), 285–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2012.10.001

Roenneberg, T., Wirz-Justice, A., & Merrow, M. (2003). Life between clocks: Daily temporal patterns of human chronotypes. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 18(1), 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748730402239679