East Texans are preparing for a Halloween weekend of trick-or-treating, plus an extra hour of sleep Sunday morning when daylight saving time ends. Experts say the body still needs time to adjust to the change. Tyler mom Gracie Chapman said her family plans to go around their neighborhood on Halloween, and she said the time change may affect when her kids wake up.
Dr. Raghavendra Ghuge of the Sleep Medicine Institute of Texas in Tyler said the body's whole biological clock has to shift by an hour, which can be hard at first. He said light acts as a steering wheel for the biological clock, affecting wake time, sleep time, alertness and other body functions.
Ghuge recommended easing in by moving bedtime 15 to 20 minutes earlier each day before the change, getting early morning sunlight, and watching late caffeine. Alexandria Brown, 19, said she plans to spend the weekend with friends and does not expect the change to affect her much, though she drives an hour to school.
Daylight saving time is observed in 48 states. A proposed federal bill, the Sunshine Protection Act, would end the twice-yearly clock switch while still letting states opt out. The bill is pending in the Senate, and no vote is scheduled.