NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Every November, some people can't wait to "fall back," and get that extra hour of sleep, and some others despise losing light at the end of the day.
According to Dr. Beth Malow of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, we can all make the most of the time change when we go back to standard time.
"We find that morning light, even if you're not a morning person, morning light helps you wake up, get going," said Dr. Malow. "It boosts our mood and it actually makes it easier to fall asleep at night."
Dr. Malow is a professor of neurology and pediatrics as well as the director of the sleep division at the medical center.
She calls the day the clocks switch back to standard time her favorite time of the year.
"Even the night owls benefit, because the morning light helps them align themselves or their brains and bodies with the outside world," she said.
Commonly, people don't like the time change because the sun sets earlier. The time change can throw off certain groups of people for an extended period of time, according to the doctor.
"I have a lot of patients that tell me that. Especially, I take care of a lot of patients with autism, and their schedules are thrown off by going back and forth," she said.
According to Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers, it helps to talk with people with autism about the time change ahead of time. Additionally, it can be helpful to make small changes in 5 to 15 minute increments before the day the clocks change. It is common that for kids with autism, it will take them a bit longer to adjust to the new time because many live by their routines and habits.
Dr. Malow would be in favor of staying in standard time permanently. However, in the last five years, 19 states, including Tennessee and Kentucky, passed legislation to make daylight saving time year-round if Congress acts.
