The Anomalous Press

Note: For anyone experiencing chronic and/or persistent difficulties that do not get better a week after the time change, please seek professional medical help. 

Post Time Change & Mental Health

If the clocks have changed almost a week ago and you still feel off, that does not mean you are being dramatic, lazy or weak. For some people, the time change settles within a few days. For others, especially students, neurodivergent people, highly sensitive people and those already under strain, the effects can linger for two to three weeks. That is partly because the issue is not only the clock on our phones. The body has its own internal timing system and circadian rhythms that help regulate sleep, alertness and behaviour. Sleep itself is also influenced by both circadian timing and sleep pressure which is one reason a one hour change can still feel much larger than it sounds on paper (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], n.d.-a, n.d.-b).

One of the most frustrating parts of the time change is that the mental health effects can sneak in quietly. A person may not immediately think, “This is the time change.” Instead, they may simply notice that they are more irritable, more emotionally sensitive, less motivated, mentally foggier or more overwhelmed by ordinary demands. Then the self-criticism starts. It becomes, “Why am I still not back to normal?” or “Why is one hour affecting me this much?” With that being said, sleep medicine and public health guidance have repeatedly pointed out that daylight saving time can disrupt sleep and circadian alignment especially during the spring shift. Additionally, research highlighted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggests that people do not all respond to the time change in the same way, which means there is a real biological reason some people struggle more than others do (American Academy of Sleep Medicine [AASM], 2019; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [NHLBI], 2021).

For students and mentally overloaded people, this tends to show up in practical everyday ways. Concentration may feel overwhelming, task-switching may become more irritating and sensory overload may build faster. Mornings may feel heavier while afternoons feel strangely unproductive and emotionally flat. For neurodivergent people in particular, a disruption in routine can affect far more than sleep alone. It can affect timing, transitions, executive functioning and emotional regulation. Therefore, when the time change hits harder than expected, the solution is usually not to shame yourself into functioning better. The more effective approach is to support the nervous system and help the body clock settle.

Why it can last longer than expected

People often talk about the time change as though it should be over in a day or two. Realistically, that is not true for everyone. Circadian systems do not instantly obey the new clock time, and the body may need repeated cues to adjust. Light exposure, sleep timing, meal timing and activity all act as signals that help the body understand when it is supposed to be awake and when it is supposed to wind down (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016; NIMH, n.d.-a). When those cues are inconsistent, the adjustment can drag out.

In contrast, when a person is already running on stress, sensory fatigue, academic overload or a fragile routine, the time change can expose that strain even more. In some cases, the clock shift is not the whole problem. It is simply the thing that pushes an already tired system further out of balance. That is why the emotional side can feel stronger than people expect. It is not just tiredness. It is tiredness mixed with disruption, pressure and the feeling of being out of sync with yourself.

What to do: second week after the time change

At this point, the goal is not to “prepare” for the time change. The goal is to stabilise. The first thing that usually helps is keeping your wake-up time as consistent as possible. That does not mean being rigid for the sake of it. It means giving your body one reliable anchor each day. Public health guidance has emphasised that time cues such as sleep, meals and activity can help the body adapt to clock changes more effectively (CDC, 2016, 2022).

The second priority is morning light. Light is one of the strongest cues for circadian timing. Opening the curtains early, sitting near a bright window or stepping outside for a short time in the morning can help signal that the day has started. On the other hand, too much bright light late in the evening can make it harder for the body to shift properly, particularly when your rhythm already feels delayed or unsettled (CDC, 2016; NIMH, n.d.-c).

The third priority is reducing unnecessary pressure. Many people make this harder on themselves by expecting normal performance from a system that is still trying to recalibrate. They stay up later to compensate, overload the day, rely too heavily on caffeine or become harsh with themselves for not functioning at their usual level. Usually, that only adds more strain. During the second week, it is often more useful to aim for steadiness than peak productivity. A simpler morning, fewer unnecessary decisions and a slightly lighter workload can protect mental health far better than forcing yourself through it.

What to focus on in the third week

By the third week, the focus should be on rhythm. Your routine does not need to be perfect or aesthetic. It needs to be repeatable. That is especially important for readers who struggle with executive dysfunction, overstimulation or low mental energy. A basic sequence can work better than a complicated “reset.” Get up, open the curtains, wash your face, drink some water or eat something. Start with one low-friction task. That may sound simple but simple is often what works when the brain feels off-timed.

External supports can help as well. Timers, alarms with labels, short checklists and preparing the night before can reduce the amount of mental effort required in the morning. For many students and neurodivergent people, waiting to feel ready does not work well when circadian timing is off. Structure often works better than motivation during these periods.

The evening matters too. CDC sleep guidance recommends reducing screen exposure before bed and maintaining an environment that supports sleep, while NHLBI guidance on circadian rhythm disorders also points to light and behavioural habits as important parts of managing disruption (CDC, 2024; NHLBI, 2022a, 2022b). In practical terms, that means your evening should become calmer earlier than usual. Dimmer lighting, less doom-scrolling, fewer emotionally activating conversations and less last-minute work can all help the nervous system wind down more predictably.

When it may be more than the time change

A more helpful question than “Why am I not over this yet?” is “Am I improving at all?” If your sleep, concentration and mood are gradually becoming more stable, even slowly, that still fits with adjustment. If nothing is improving, or if low mood, anxiety, insomnia or functional impairment are becoming more intense, then it may be time to consider that the time change is not the only issue involved. Sometimes the time change acts more like a trigger than a full explanation. It can reveal how stressed, sleep-deprived or dysregulated someone already was.

Ultimately, the time change is often dismissed as minor, yet for some people it becomes a real mental health stressor. Therefore, if you are still struggling after a week, the answer is usually not more self-judgement. It is more support. A steadier wake time, earlier light, gentler expectations and stronger external structure can make a real difference over the following two to three weeks. Sometimes the body does not need a lecture. However, it needs a little more help catching up.

References

American Academy of Sleep Medicine. (2019). Daylight saving time health advisory. https://aasm.org/advocacy/position-statements/daylight-saving-time-health-advisory/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Daylight saving: Suggestions to help workers adapt to the time change. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/bulletin/2016/daylight-savings.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Here comes the sun! Tips to adapt to daylight saving time. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/bulletin/2022/time-change.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). About sleep. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2021). Daylight saving time changes impact people differently, according to new research. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2021/daylight-saving-time-changes-impact-people-differently-according-new-research

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022a). Circadian rhythm disorders: Causes and risk factors. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/circadian-rhythm-disorders/causes

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022b). Circadian rhythm disorders: Treatment. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/circadian-rhythm-disorders/treatment

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.-a). Circadian rhythms. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/rdoc/constructs/circadian-rhythms

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.-b). Sleep-wakefulness. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/rdoc/constructs/sleep-wakefulness

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.-c). Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms (SLCR). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/research-areas/clinics-and-labs/slcr