Early this coming Sunday morning, the United States will move clocks forward one hour for Daylight Savings Time. The time change can affect you more than just shifting an hour forward, especially when you have ADHD. It can affect sleep patterns, routines, and symptom management.
Changes in the day’s rhythms
“Daylight savings time causes a small phase shift in our circadian rhythm,” says Timothy B. Sullivan, MD, chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Staten Island University Hospital in New York.
Circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock. It sets the patterns for when we wake up and when we begin to feel sleepy, along with when to send hunger cues. If you consistently feel more alert or more in-tune with tasks, sleep, or meals at certain points of the day, this is part of your body’s circadian rhythm. It’s also the reason why it can be hard to bring focus and sustained attention to tasks at other points in the day.
Moving those tasks and mealtimes throws those internal rhythms off, leading to feeling tired or hungry at unscheduled times—and likely a bit of grumpiness to go with it.
“This affects all of us, but some people are more impacted than others, including people with ADHD,” Dr. Sullivan says.
Suggestions to prepare for the time shift
Ease yourself into the change.
“I would recommend slowly shifting bed routines forward by fifteen minutes over four days,” says Bethany Cook, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and an adjunct professor at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. “By the time the official ‘one-hour spring forward’ happens, you’re back in your typical time routine.”
Try going to bed half an hour earlier on Friday and then half an hour earlier than that on Saturday. By Sunday night, you may find it easier to fall asleep at the new hour, and you may find that you’re feeling more rested on Monday morning.
Adjust your routine to better fit the new time. Gradually shift your meals until you feel hungry at the usual time for meals. If you feel more alert and focused at a different hour on the clock, try to rearrange your tasks so that you tackle the ones requiring more attention at those times.
Check with your prescriber if you include medication in your (or your child’s) treatment plan. You may want to adjust the time you normally take your medication.
Spend time outside. Sunlight, even on a cloudy day, helps the body to produce the hormones that help to naturally adjust your circadian rhythms. If you can step outside for ten minutes early in the morning, or spend that time in front of a sunny window, you can help to speed up the adjustment process.
Remember that you might feel the effects of the time change the same way you would experience jet lag. Sleepiness can aggravate ADHD symptoms, especially working memory. Keep a notebook handy to jot down things you need to remember or to remind you of your routine or to-do list. If you can, take a nap; encourage your child to take a nap if they are affected by the time change.
Go easy on yourself
The coming week is one when many people will oversleep, miss appointments, or just feel a bit more scattered than usual. That is to be expected. Most people adjust to the change after a week.
In the meantime, the tried-and-true ADHD tips can help support you during the first few days of the time change. Jot down your notes and things to remember, stick to your routines, and prioritize your healthy habits around meals and sleep. Keep in mind the benefit we all hope for with the shift of the clocks—getting to enjoy that additional hour of sunlight at the end of the day.
Need ideas to make the time change easier?