Keep sleep patterns steady with daylight saving time, experts say

Daylight saving time ends this Sunday — meaning we'll all get an extra hour of sleep and drive more nighttime hours after we set our clocks back an hour.

While most of us will enjoy the opportunity for an additional hour of sleep, experts from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Evanston warn that even a one hour change can be disruptive to our sleep patters.

Dr. Hrayr Attarian, a neurologist at Northwestern offers the following tips to help people get a good night's sleep this weekend and throughout the year.

Be consistent: Go to bed when you are sleepy and stick to a set rise time. You cannot force yourself to fall asleep, but you can always get up when you need to. Not sleeping in may help consolidate your sleep at night.

Bedroom boundaries: Make sure the bedroom is only for going to sleep. It shouldn't be a place to watch TV, do work, surf the Internet or eat. That way your body knows that when you get into bed, it's time to go to sleep.

Work up a sweat: Exercise can give your body something to rest from and help you stay asleep at night. To allow enough wind-down time, it's best to complete exercise at least two to three hours before going to bed.

Set the stage: Take a hot shower then get into a cool bed. The drop in your body's temperature after taking a hot shower and entering a cooler room is a process that naturally mimics day and night, and may help guide you to sleep.

Put your thoughts to bed: Jot down your to-do list for the next day and put it aside so you feel organized and can avoid racing thoughts that may prevent you from falling and staying asleep.

Relax: Avoid activities such as going online or watching TV that will hold your interest and keep you engaged. Listening to music or reading something that you find mindless in a dimly lit area may help you feel sleepy.

The end of daylight saving time also means more nighttime driving.

“There is a significant increase in the number of car accidents in the days following the end of daylight saving time, which many attribute to lack of alertness from insufficient sleep,” said Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of Northwestern Memorial's Sleep Disorders Center.

Splashing water on your face, pinching yourself, listening to loud music or rolling the windows down do not help prevent falling asleep behind the wheel, Zee said.