How to survive Daylight Saving Time: FIU sleep expert shares tips before we spring forward

March 6, 2026 at 11:33am

Ready or not, it’s that time again: Daylight Saving Time (DST) returns on Sunday, shifting mornings into darkness and extending daylight into the evening.

Daylight Saving Time starts in the spring when clocks “spring forward” an hour and end in the fall when clocks “fall back“ an hour, returning to Standard Time.

“Changing the clock this weekend will give many of us a bit of jet lag,” says sleep expert Jennifer Martin, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor and director of the Benjamín León Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.

Martin, a diplomat (a board-certified specialist who has demonstrated extensive expertise in sleep medicine) and a former president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, explains that circadian rhythms—the body’s internal clock, which regulates sleep, hormone release and alertness—are closely tied to natural light. When clocks move forward, the body’s rhythm can become misaligned, making it harder to wake up in the morning and fall asleep at night.

Jennifer Martin, Ph.D.

Students often struggle with early morning classes due to the shift in sleep schedule. This can lead to increased daytime fatigue, reduced academic motivation, impaired cognitive performance and elevated anxiety or depression.

The good news: a few simple habits can help make the adjustment easier.

Here are Martin’s top tips to ease the transition:

1. Avoid sleep deprivation before the time change.
Go to bed on time on Friday and Saturday nights so you start the week as well-rested as possible.

2. Start the day with sunlight and movement.
Spend time outdoors or exercise in the morning. Light exposure and physical activity help reset the body’s internal clock and speed adjustment to the new time.

3. Return to normal routines quickly.
Beginning Sunday, align your wake-up time, mealtimes and activities to the “new time”. Adjust routines for children and pets as well.

4. Give yourself time to adjust.
Don’t assume you’ll be at your best the first few days. Sleep loss and darker mornings can leave many people feeling groggy. If possible, avoid scheduling important meetings early Monday morning. Also, allow extra travel time, as the Monday after the time change can bring heavier traffic and a rise in accidents.

Martin, whose studies focus on sleep disorders, says research strongly supports eliminating the time change and staying on permanent standard time. “Not only would this eliminate the need to shift our sleep routines twice a year, but standard time also more closely aligns the clock on the wall with the rising and setting of the sun throughout the year. This benefits our health, wellbeing and public safety.”