Watch CBS News

Fall Back: Daylight Saving Time Ends This Weekend

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Daylight saving time ends this weekend, giving the country a needed extra hour of sleep.

But because any time change can be difficult to adjust to, Dr. Raj Gupta of USC Keck's School of Medicine had several tips to make the transition smoother.

On Sunday morning, clocks will "fall back" from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. The 1-hour change will make mornings brighter earlier, but days will also get darker earlier in the evening.

The doctor said it's important to listen to your body during a time change – don't hit snooze if waking up early, go to bed if you're feeling tired, and definitely don't overdo it with anything to help you wake up or sleep.

"The day after the change of daylight savings, you don't need caffeine. Try to avoid lots of alcohol, it's going to make that transition really, really rough," Dr. Gupta said. "There are people, even though it's only an hour, it's hard to transition. So what my patients do – they go to bed a little early before the end of daylight savings and it works for them."

Dr. Gupta said that when he has asked his patients how they feel about the time change, he gets three reactions – excitement for an extra hour of sleep, frustration from those who already suffer from insomnia, and annoyance from those who will have several clocks to change. But Dr. Gupta said he was especially sympathetic for people who will be working when the time change happens.

"Shout out to all the hard workers on Sunday night, working for an extra hour, probably for no extra pay," he said. "I just want to let everyone know I appreciate them."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.