Longer days could be good news for many but the loss of an hour's sleep can bring problems for some.
Daylight savings commences on the first Sunday of October and it's a matter for individual states to observe.
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the ACT will turn their clocks forward one hour at 2 am on Sunday 3rd October, but Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territories will not.
Daylight savings bring one hour extra of daylight and most people quickly adapt to the change as they can have one extra hour for outdoor activities and spending more daylight hours with the family.
However, some sleep experts warn of the negative impact of the loss of one hour of sleep on the daily routine, especially for those with a sleep disorder. Prof.
For all states bar Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia Sunday 6th October from 2am marks the beginning of daylight saving. Source: AAP
Dorothy Bruck, Chair of the Sleep Health Foundation and Professor of Psychology at Victoria University in Melbourne, has been researching sleep disorders for the past three decades and gives advice on how to get prepared a few days before Daylight Savings starts.
Professor Bruck stresses the need for adequate sleep for children since they could have difficulty in understanding why they require to go to bed early while it is still a bit bright outside.
Professor Dorothy Bruck - Chair, Sleep Health Foundation Australia Source: Professor Dorothy Bruck - Sleep Health Foundation
"Children have a lot less understanding (of Daylight Savings) as some are more hyper and feel more tired but they don't show the tiredness and parents have to be a little bit conscious of making sure they are getting enough sleep," Professor Bruck tells SBS Urdu.
She suggests getting them to bed a little bit early before the Daylight Savings takes effect.
For those who don't take steps to re-adjust before losing one hour of sleep, Professor Bruck says they could feel increased tiredness on Monday morning due to the unpreparedness of the body-clock.
"The better way is to start going to bed early a few days before DLS begins", she says.
Newly arrived migrants and Daylight Savings
Many newly arrived migrants could also face difficulty in adjusting especially if they arrive from parts of the world where it's not observed.
Professor Bruck admits that the risk of sleep loss could be real for some but it can be avoided by following a few simple tips but if sleep order is challenging then people can adopt a strategy to help adjust to DLS time.
"The reason why we do it is because of long daylight hours in the evening which can be really good for people’s health, so they can get out a little bit more with their families.
"If they have a 9-5 job they can have a leisure activity in the evening. But that means there is less light in the morning.
"It is important for everybody to get as much light as possible in the morning when you are adapting to daylight saving.
Opening the curtains or having breakfast next to the sunny window are really good strategies for helping your body clock get in sync with the new clock time.
Newly arrived migrants could have difficulty in understanding why Daylight savings is required. There could be some anxiety due to a lack of understanding of its merit. Prof Dorothy does not see any long-term impacts of it but people who work on shift or having sleep disorders should take extra care, she added.
It depends on many factors including body clock but some people may take up to a week to adjust sleeping pattern but most come over within the first few days of the change.
Tired Businessman working in the office and sleeping for a rest. Source: Getty
How to avoid the Daylight Savings 'Monday shock'
There could be many reasons that could cause panic and stress on the first day of DLS. These could include, but not limited to, miss out on the alarm setting, went to bed late, or forgot at all that DLS is on tomorrow. Prof. Dorothy says it is better to go to bed approx twenty-minutes earlier and if you are really good might set your alarm to wake up twenty-minute earlier, getting ready for Monday morning shock.
Daylight Saving Time ends at 3 am on every first Sunday of April when clocks went back by one hour. Clocks move forward one hour at 2 is on the first Sunday of October.
A common phrase used to remember Daylight Savings is that clocks 'spring forward' by an hour as summer commences and 'spring back' by an hour in autumn. Source: Getty
In Australia, Daylight saving is observed in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and Norfolk Island. Daylight saving is not observed in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Christmas Island, or the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
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