By: Kathy Hubbard
If you’ve been feeling a little grumpy, not sleeping well, and just not yourself this week, it could be because changing the clocks to Daylight Saving Time knocked your system off track for a few days. For some people it continues longer. You see, circadian rhythm disruption has affected their wake/sleep cycle.
Before we get into the trees, I want to bring in Laura Bonneville, M.Ed., LPC, NCC. I’ve used her as a resource before, so you probably remember that alphabet soup after her name and that she’s our local expert on sleep issues at Bonner General Health. As a matter of fact, she’s one of only two therapists who provide the gold standard, cognitive behavioral therapy, for insomnia in Region One of Idaho (you know, the top half of the Panhandle).
I asked her if changing the time was really a problem. “Yes, changing the clocks – or adjusting bedtime or wake time by an hour – disrupts circadian rhythms, causing desynchronosis, more commonly known as jet lag. Most people adjust within a few days, though some of my sleep patients have reported needing one to two weeks.
“Desynchronosis can lead to sleep disturbances such as excessive sleepiness or insomnia. Circadian rhythm disruptions also increase the risk of physiological and behavioral disorders, contribute to metabolic and oncological diseases, and can lower the seizure threshold in individuals with epilepsy.”
A representative of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) says on their website that the switch to daylight saving time “disrupts our body clocks, affects our sleep quality, and increases the risk of avoidable health and safety incidents, such as motor vehicle accidents, cardiovascular events, and even workplace errors in the days following the time change.”
Just so you know, Bonneville is a member of AASM. They are the ones who’ve been lobbying congress for years to abolish seasonal time changes and adopt permanent standard time. We can discuss this another day.
Circadian rhythm issues aren’t just about jet lag and time change. The Cleveland Clinic adds those who do shift work, those whose sleep/wake cycles are either earlier or later than average, or they’re irregular, and those whose circadian rhythm is predictable, but not 24 hours like most people’s.
“A person should see their healthcare provider if they have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early – especially if it interferes with daytime functioning, occurs more than three nights per week, and has persisted for longer than one month,” Bonneville said.
I asked her if practicing good sleep hygiene (regular sleep-wake schedule, relaxing bedtime routine, not napping, avoiding stimulants, reducing screen time, etc.) helps with circadian rhythm disruption.
“Sleep hygiene alone is not an evidence-based treatment for many sleep disorders, including insomnia. However, when combined with effective strategies like stimulus control therapy or counter-arousal techniques, it can help correct sleep disturbances.
“Stimulus control therapy strengthens the brain’s association with the bed, primarily by limiting its use to sleep and sex. Counter-arousal strategies reduce cognitive hyperarousal or sleep-related worry, which often develops after poor sleep. A common approach is engaging in mildly pleasant, non-stimulating activities during the hour before bedtime.”
Cleveland clinic says that there are several potential risks factors for circadian rhythm disruption of which some are controllable, and others, well, not so much. For instance, you can’t change your genetics. “You can inherit certain sleep traits and characteristics from one or both parents,” they say.
“Children and teens are more likely to develop delayed sleep-wake phase disorder. Older adults (especially those over 60) are more likely to have advanced sleep-wake phase disorder.”
They also say that shift workers often experience issues when they move to an earlier shift. And jet lag tends to be more severe when one travels east, advancing the sleep cycle, versus flying west that delays the sleep cycle.
I asked Bonneville about other health issues affecting sleep. She said, “We often see co-morbid respiratory issues and sleep problems. Sleep-related hypoventilation or hypoxemia is seen in conditions such as COPD. Respiratory infections can cause sleep disruptions. If sleep problems persist after the infection resolves, yes, please visit your provider.”
If you’re experiencing sleep difficulties, contact your primary healthcare provider. You might benefit from a visit to Laura Bonneville.
Kathy Hubbard is a member of the Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Council. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com. This article was written for publication in the Bonner County Daily Bee on March 12, 2025.
