How to Protect Your Sleep When Daylight Saving Time Ends Nov. 1

Daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks fall back one hour at 2 a.m. The change lands on the earliest possible date allowed under federal law, since Nov. 1 falls on a Sunday this year. Here is how to keep your sleep on track.

You will gain an hour of sleep that Sunday morning, and the adjustment is usually gentler than the spring change, according to sleep experts. But the sudden shift in evening darkness can still leave people groggy, moody or off schedule for several days.

Start shifting your bedtime now. Move it 15 minutes later each night in the days before the change so the new schedule feels familiar. Waking up at the usual time on Sunday also helps your body settle into the new rhythm.

Morning light is the most powerful tool you have. Open the curtains when you wake up and step outside for a few minutes. Light tells your brain when the day begins, and it helps keep your sleep hormones on schedule as mornings grow darker.

Keep children on a steady routine. Young kids are the most sensitive to schedule changes, and the earlier darkness can make them sleepy at odd hours. Keep meals, baths and bedtimes consistent, and avoid letting naptimes drift too far.

Watch out on the roads. The early evening darkness after the change catches drivers off guard every year. Commutes home suddenly happen in the dark, and pedestrians and cyclists are harder to see. Slow down, turn headlights on early and take extra care around crosswalks.

Be consistent with screens and caffeine. Scrolling in bed delays sleep, and late-day coffee lingers in your system for hours. If the darker evenings make you want to doze on the couch, get up and move instead so nighttime sleep stays strong.

Most people adjust within a few days to a week. If sleeplessness or daytime fatigue lasts longer than that, talk to your doctor. Congress continues to debate whether to end the twice-yearly clock changes, but for now the ritual of falling back remains.