Daylight saving time ended November 1, and the shift can affect sleep, mood, and routine more than you might expect.
AT A GLANCE
- Why the Time Change Can Feel Bigger Than an Hour
- Getting Morning Light
- Adjusting to Earlier Sunsets at Home
- Keeping Your Evening Routine Steady
- Protecting Your Sleep
- Staying Safe When You’re Out After Dark
- Making the Most of Longer Evenings
Adjusting to earlier sunsets is one of the quieter changes that come with early November. The leaves are mostly down, the air has a bite to it, and on Sunday morning the clocks fell back an hour. That extra hour of sleep is nice, but suddenly it’s dark by the time you sit down for dinner.
For many people, the shorter days bring a few changes that are easy to overlook: waking up earlier than usual, feeling sleepy by mid-evening, or finding that conversations are harder to follow once the room gets dim. A few small adjustments to light, routine, and your surroundings can help your body and your evenings settle into the new season. Here are some practical ideas to help you ease into the darker months.
Why the Time Change Can Feel Bigger Than an Hour
Your body runs on an internal clock, sometimes called your circadian rhythm. It uses light as one of its main cues for when to feel awake and when to wind down. When the clocks change, that cue shifts, and your body needs time to catch up.
The CDC’s tips on adjusting to the time change note that it can take about a week for your body to adjust. So if you feel a little off for the first several days, that’s normal. Being patient with yourself during that stretch can go a long way.
Getting Morning Light
With evenings getting darker, morning light becomes more important. Natural light early in the day helps signal to your body that it’s time to be awake, which can make it easier to feel sleepy at a reasonable hour later on.
A few ways to work more morning light into your day:
- Opening the curtains or blinds as soon as you get up
- Having breakfast or coffee near a bright window
- Taking a short walk before lunch, when it’s often warmer and brighter
- Running errands in the late morning or early afternoon instead of the evening
Even a short time outside in the morning may leave you feeling more awake.
Adjusting to Earlier Sunsets at Home
When the sun goes down earlier, more of your conversations happen indoors under lamps and overhead lights. If you have hearing loss, you may notice that conversations feel harder to follow after dark. That’s because seeing someone’s face, including their lips and expressions, helps fill in words you might miss.
Setting up lighting so it falls on people’s faces, rather than behind them, is a simple place to start. A lamp beside your favorite chair, or a light near the dining table, can make it easier to see the people you’re talking with. Seating that keeps a bright window or lamp from sitting behind someone can help too, since backlighting can leave their face in shadow.
Our post on following conversation at fall gatherings has more seating and lighting ideas for when you have company.
Keeping Your Evening Routine Steady
A steady routine gives your body consistent cues, which can be especially helpful during the weeks after the time change. Eating meals, going to bed, and waking up around the same times each day gives your internal clock a better chance to adjust.
You might also find it helpful to plan something you enjoy for the early evening, when the darkness can make the day feel like it’s ending sooner. That could be a phone call with a friend, a favorite TV show with the captions on, a puzzle, or a good book. Having something to look forward to can make the longer evenings feel cozy instead of tedious.
Protecting Your Sleep
The time change can throw off sleep for a few nights. You may find yourself getting sleepy earlier in the evening or waking up before your alarm. A few habits may help:
- Keeping the bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortably cool
- Dimming the lights about an hour before bed
- Limiting caffeine in the afternoon and evening
- Getting outside or near a window during the day
If your sleep stays off for more than a couple of weeks, it may be worth mentioning to your doctor.
Staying Safe When You’re Out After Dark
Errands and visits that used to happen in daylight may now happen at dusk. When you can, try to plan outings for earlier in the afternoon. If you do go out after dark, wearing something light-colored or reflective and carrying a small flashlight can help others see you.
If you have hearing loss, it may be harder to hear cars, bikes, or people approaching, and the darkness can make them harder to see. Taking a little extra time at crosswalks and in parking lots may help you feel more comfortable. At home, porch and walkway lights make coming and going easier and safer.
Making the Most of Longer Evenings
Shorter days can be a nice reason to slow down. This time of year can be a good time to invite a friend over for tea, start a new hobby, or catch up by phone with someone you haven’t talked to in a while.
Evening phone calls are often when family and friends finally have time to talk. If calls have become harder to hear, a captioned phone shows you what your caller is saying, so you can confirm what your caller says while you are talking.
Take the next step:
- Learn how a CapTel captioned telephone can make evening phone calls easier to follow
- Find out which CapTel phone model might be the best fit for you or someone you care about
- See if you or someone you care about may be eligible to receive a CapTel phone at no cost
- For questions or to learn more, call CapTel at 1-800-233-9130
Keep exploring: More on staying active in cooler weather | Visit the CapTel blog | Share this article with a friend
CapTel® is the inventor and technology leader in Captioned Telephones for people with hearing loss. CapTel phones show word-for-word captions of everything a caller says, helping those with hearing loss stay connected with the important people in their lives.
