By Eric Stock
PEORIA – It’s time to ‘spring forward’ this weekend and a sleep specialist is offering tips to make sure people your sleep habits aren’t disrupted.
It typically days a day for your body to adjust to Daylight Savings Time, said Dr. Sarah Zallek with the Illinois Neurological Institute Sleep Center in Peoria. But she said it affects each of us differently.
“There are some people who are more morning larks and some people who are more night owls,” Zallek said. “For people who have a little trouble getting to sleep in the evening, the spring forward may be a little more trouble for them,” Zallek said.
Zallek said if you get tired during the day, it’s best to avoid naps because they can make it more difficult to sleep at night.
She added it’s best to adjust your body to the new sleep schedule by staying active and avoiding caffeine that might keep you awake.
Zallek said the body clock adjust is the same when you travel.
“If we were to go to Europe and be about seven times zones away, it would take about seven days to adjust,” Zallek said.
She said bad sleep patterns can lead to a number of health problems, including bad diet, memory loss, and attention deficit disorder.
Zallek noted if you get tired during the day, it’s best to avoid naps because they can make it more difficult to sleep at night. She said if you must take what she called a ‘safety’ nap, it’s best to take it in your bed to avoid your brain associating other locations with sleep.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
