Facing "Fall Back"

Dear Caregivers,

First, the good news: This weekend we all get an extra hour of sleep! In other words, it’s time to “fall back” to Standard Daylight Time, setting your clocks an hour earlier when you go to bed on Saturday night. The bad news? Changing the clock is easy, but adapting your body and mind is a bit harder.

Everyone has what is known as a “circadian clock,” which is your body’s internal timekeeper. This internal clock goes through regular cycles of various brain chemicals every day, making you sleepy, waking you up, and maintaining your body’s temperature, appetite, and overall mood. Studies show that these clocks operate on a roughly 24-hour cycle, using the motion of the sun to keep their rhythm.

So, on Sunday, when we suddenly shift the clock back an hour, your body falls out of time with the clock. This in effect gives you a mini-version of “jet lag,” even though you didn’t fly anywhere. The shift in time can make you feel tired, maybe a little crabby, and can throw off your appetite.

For caregivers of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's disease, the time change can pose additional challenges, since the illness itself disrupts their circadian clock and makes the brain less flexible overall. Your loved one may have trouble understanding the switch in their schedules, and have problems adapting to the new routine. Since nightfall arrives an hour earlier, the time change may exacerbate periods of sundowning, with the earlier, fading light being accompanied by increased anxiety, agitation, and restlessness.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to make this transition easier for both you and your loved one. Here are some tips to help you adjust to the time change and the shorter days ahead.

DON’T WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY: Instead, ease into the schedule change by shifting your loved one’s schedule, including meals and sleeping, by 15 minutes a day for several days before the clock change. That will help cause their circadian rhythms to already be reset when the time change comes.

LIGHTEN UP IN THE MORNING: Your circadian clocks are set in part by the rising and setting sun. For the “fall back” time shift, it’s best to help this process by spending time outdoors in the sunlight in the early morning, whether walking, or sitting in the sun, or having breakfast while basking in the sunlight.

MIND YOUR SELF-SLEEP: When you are tired, you can’t provide the level of care that you might like to. Make sure you keep an eye on your caffeine intake late in the day, and try to get in a walk or other exercise in the early morning sun.

The best news is that the human body adapts to the time change fairly quickly, and you all should be back on schedule within a few days!

Here is some more information on time changes and sleep: