It’s that time of year again when the evenings become a little longer.

A welcome sign that spring is on its way, especially when more people are spending time outdoors during the pandemic. However, you will lose an hour of sleep tonight.

The clocks will spring ahead as Daylight Saving Time officially returns at 3:00 a.m. Sunday.

Christopher Earle, a resident doctor in the Faculty of Medicine at MUN, says losing one hour of sleep can make a big difference. His focus is on Sleep Disorders.

Earle says the problem with Daylight Saving Time is that there is a sudden shift in schedule, and people become an hour out of sync with the natural daylight clock our bodies are in-line with.

He says the loss of one hour can result in all sorts of different complications like increased risk of traffic accidents, missed medical appointments, errors at work, heart attacks, and worsening of sleep disorders this time of year.

Earle suggests that the safest way to do the transition, rather than jumping an hour in one day, is to set your clock ahead by 20 minutes each day, making it much easier.