Don’t sleep in on Sunday morning; don’t nap Sunday afternoon; and don’t fret, because worrying will just make it harder for you to sleep.
However, Rothenberg recommends getting some morning light, and listening to your body if you can’t fall asleep at your regular bedtime the first few nights.
Rudraraju offered some advice of his own.
For the first few weeks, try to wake up five or 10 minutes earlier every two to three days, he suggests. And exercise for 30 to 40 minutes in bright light each day, but do it before 5 p.m.
Don’t drink caffeinated beverages, Rudraraju adds, and eat dinner at least three to five hours before bedtime. At dinner, don’t have more than one alcoholic drink. Stop all computer activity an hour before bedtime, and stay out of the bedroom until it’s bedtime, he says.
If you still have trouble falling asleep, try taking a melatonin pill two hours before you want to go to sleep, says Rudraraju, who notes the pills are available without a prescription.
Another sleep expert offers bedroom-specific advice for handling the time change.
Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute in Mebane, N.C., says keeping the bedroom cool, dark and quiet will help you sleep through the time change. Beyond that, a good mattress and pillows always help, and you should consider separate blankets if you sleep with a partner. That way, you won’t be disturbed during the night by your partner hogging the covers, he says.
Visit the National Sleep Foundation for more on healthy sleep habits.