How to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm After Daylight Saving Time Ends

Key Takeaways:

• When daylight saving time ends, your internal clock doesn’t automatically follow suit.
• You may wake up earlier in the morning or feel tired, groggy, and out of sync.
• Hatch Sleep Clock combines gentle light and calming audio to build a consistent bedtime routine and support better sleep.

When the clocks fall back, you technically gain an hour in the day. But that doesn’t necessarily translate to better sleep. As your body adjusts to the one-hour time change, you may feel tired or generally out of sorts. That’s totally normal, and there’s a lot you can do to feel more rested.

Getting the right light at the right time and sticking to a consistent bedtime routine can help your body adjust. Below, learn more about how daylight saving can affect your sleep, how to reset your body clock after the time change, and how Hatch Sleep Clock can help you create a calming routine for better rest year round.

Table of Contents

1. Why Daylight Saving Time Can Disrupt Your Circadian Rhythm
2. How to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm After Daylight Saving Ends
3. FAQs
4. References

Why Daylight Saving Time Can Disrupt Your Circadian Rhythm

Your body runs on an internal clock, the circadian rhythm, that helps determine when you feel tired and sleepy. This roughly 24-hour cycle is controlled by a part of your brain that responds to environmental cues, especially light and darkness.

When special cells in your eyes detect light, they send signals to your brain that help regulate the production of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleepiness. Morning light helps signal that it’s time to wake up and prompts the release of cortisol, an energizing hormone. As light dwindles at night, your body begins to release melatonin to help you sleep.

When daylight saving time ends, the clock shifts back an hour, but your body doesn’t automatically follow suit. Even though you technically gain an hour, you may still feel sleepy or wake up according to your previous schedule. This temporary mismatch can leave you feeling tired, groggy, or out of sync. The good news? A few simple routine tweaks can help your circadian rhythm gradually adjust to the new schedule.

How to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm After Daylight Saving Ends

Consistent sleep habits and strategic light exposure can help your body adapt after daylight saving time ends, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

Get Natural Light in the Morning

Morning sunlight helps reinforce your body's sleep-wake rhythm and can support adjustment to a new schedule. If you can, get outside soon after waking, even if it's cloudy. Even opening your curtains while you drink your morning coffee can help.

Keep Sleep and Wake Times Consistent

Consistent bedtimes help reinforce your internal clock, which may make the time transition a bit easier. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day, including weekends. After the clocks fall back, aim to follow the new time rather than your old schedule. For example, if you usually go to bed at 10 PM, stick with 10 PM on the new clock, even if your body initially feels ready for sleep earlier.

Dim the Lights Before Bedtime

Bright evening light, especially blue light, can suppress melatonin and delay your body's natural preparation for sleep. Dimming household lights and reducing screen exposure can create a more circadian-friendly environment.

Incorporate Light and Sound as Sleep Cues

Red light on your Hatch Sleep Clock can become a consistent visual cue that it's time to get ready for bed. Because dim red light generally has less impact on the circadian system than brighter, blue-enriched light, it’s a sleep-friendly way to wind down for sleep.

Try pairing red light with calming sounds or other relaxing activities to help your mind and body clock out for the day when you feel a bit “off.” Hatch Sleep Clock’s Red Light Reset audio includes five guided meditations combining breath work, mindfulness, and other relaxation techniques with soothing red light.

Make Small Adjustments Instead of Forcing Sleep

If you're not sleepy at your usual bedtime, don’t force it. Gradually shifting your schedule as needed and prioritizing a predictable wind-down routine can help your body adjust, so you can get better sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

Explore how Hatch Sleep Clock can support a healthy circadian rhythm for better sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take your circadian rhythm to adjust to daylight saving time?

Many people adjust to the fall time change within a few days, although some may take a week or longer. The adjustment period depends on factors like your usual sleep schedule, light exposure, and individual sensitivity to changes in sleep timing.

Does daylight saving time affect your mood?

It can. Changes in sleep timing and daylight exposure may temporarily affect your mood, energy, and concentration. As daylight hours shorten during fall and winter, some people also experience seasonal mood changes, which are distinct from the immediate effects of the clock change.

Is falling back easier on your body than springing forward?

Generally, yes. Moving the clocks back an hour is often easier because it temporarily allows more time for sleep, and the human circadian clock tends to adjust more readily to later schedules than earlier ones. However, the transition can still disrupt your sleep patterns.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (n.d.). Effects of light on circadian rhythms. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-training-for-nurses/longhours/mod2/19.html
2. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022, March 24). Healthy sleep habits. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation/healthy-sleep-habits
3. Chaput, J.-P., et al. (2020). Sleep timing, sleep consistency, and health in adults: A systematic review. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 45(10 Suppl. 2), S232–S247. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-0032