NEW ORLEANS — If you're like most people today, you're feeling a little tired from moving the clocks forward Sunday for daylight saving time.
Doctors say there's a biological reason for that, and there's also a way to get back to feeling normal, faster.
A lot's been said about the country's divided opinions over the last few years, but today people seem united.
“Sometimes it feels like a extra grogginess, maybe being jet lagged,” said one woman.
“Definitely felt groggy, a little more tired, but you know the sun’s been out. I believe in drinking plenty of water, so kind of just doing what you got to do,” said a young man who is a dentist.
“Lost an hour of sleep, a lot, very tired. The day is not like I'm just very out of it because of daylight saving,” said a young woman.
And there's a reason we are all united in feeling out of it.
Our circadian rhythms influence sleep-wake cycles, hormones, eating and digestion, and body temperature. And it's set by when light comes in our eyes.
“People who are sleeping between seven to nine hours, not going to have much of a problem if they lose an hour here and there, but people who sleep less than that, who are getting five and six hours of sleep, now you're taking away an hour, they are at high risk of those co-morbidities and consequences,” said Dr. Mohammad Cheema, of the Sleep Center of New Orleans.
And the consequences can be deadly. There are already more heart attacks on a Monday, but that goes up on daylight-saving Monday.
And not getting enough sleep is even worse for you if you have Type 2 Diabetes. It makes your blood sugar less likely to be metabolized and more likely to be stored as fat.
That’s because we need the sleep, and total darkness during sleep, to produce the powerful hormone melatonin. Women who sleep with a TV or light on at night, were more likely to gain at least 11 pounds over five years than those who slept in darkness, and were 30 percent more likely to become obese. Melatonin is an anti-cancer and anti-inflammation hormone. So, switch the face mask for an eye mask at night.
So, here’s how can you catch up after the weekend.
“Start to focus on trying to go to bed a little bit early so we can regain that hour, usually 15 to 20 minutes every night. Work up to an hour in a couple of days,” Dr. Cheema said.
But it may take longer for one couple to catch up. They got married Saturday night. So they lost sleep and time celebrating with family and friends.
“No, I'm still tired today. I need another day,” said the bride.
“I need a whole other day,” laughed the groom. “I was supposed to work today, but I needed today off catch up with that hour.”
And the sleep doctor says for the best sleep, it should be dark, quiet, turn off electronics two hours before bedtime, and set the temperature between 69 and 71 degrees.
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