TORONTO – It’s almost time for Canadians to “spring forward” and turn their clocks ahead one hour this weekend for the start of daylight time.
And sleep-deprived people could be hit hard by the change this weekend.
Dr. Reshma Amin is a sleep physician at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
READ MORE: How the time change affects your internal clock
She says adults who get fewer than seven to eight hours of sleep each night will be affected more than those with regular sleep schedules.
Dr. Amin says people should gradually shift bedtime and wake times for a few days before the time change.
She says it’s easier to go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night to help make up for the hour of sleep lost.
Jennifer Garden is founder of Vancouver-based Sleepdreams which specializes in sleep consultations for kids.
Garden says it’s important to develop good sleep hygiene.
READ MORE: Daylight Saving Time leads to ‘massive productivity losses,’ study says
That includes sleeping in a dark room about two or three degrees cooler than normal room temperature.
Garden says when people are falling asleep their body temperature cools.
And if the room is too hot, the body’s temperature can’t get down to where it needs to be to fall asleep.
Fire Services would also like to remind Canadians to check that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working correctly and replace batteries if need be.
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