Why Spring Daylight Saving Time Feels So Disruptive

Think about it: Spring has a way of lifting our collective mood. The days stretch a little longer. Evenings feel lighter. The idea of warmer weather, outdoor dining, and more time spent outside starts to feel real again. When we set the clocks forward, (what that winter DST officially ends) it often feels like an official signal that we are back on summer time.

Psychologically, this shift is full of promise.

Physiologically, it’s another story.

While both spring & fall time changes affect sleep, the spring transition consistently feels harsher. Losing one hour of sleep may sound minor, but the body experiences it as a meaningful disruption. 

As many of you already know, (if you’ve spent time on the Mudita blog) our internal clock (circadian rhythm) doesn’t adjust on command, and when social time jumps ahead, biology sometimes lags behind.

Understanding why spring Daylight Saving Time feels so disruptive helps us respond with patience rather than frustration. It also reminds us that adjustment takes time, not discipline.

1. Losing an Hour Creates Immediate Sleep Debt

When we spring forward, we don’t just change the clock. We shorten the night. 

Most people don’t  fall asleep an hour earlier just because the schedule demands it. The truth is that bedtimes & sleep onset are shaped by biology, habits, light exposure, and evening routines. When the clock moves forward, wake-up times usually stay fixed due to work, school, or family responsibilities, but sleep onset doesn’t shift as quickly.

READ: Sleep debt: can you catch up on sleep?

The result is instant sleep debt.

In the fall, the opposite happens. Gaining an hour gives the body a margin of safety, even if sleep timing is imperfect. In spring, there’s no buffer. That missing hour often ripples across several nights, leaving people feeling groggy, unfocused, and unusually tired. In fact, research indicates that it can take the human body up to four days (and sometimes up to a week or more) to fully recover from losing just one hour of sleep when shifting to Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the spring.

2. The Circadian Rhythm Resists Being Rushed

The circadian rhythm prefers consistency and gradual change. For most people, the internal clock runs slightly longer than 24 hours, which means it naturally drifts later rather than earlier.

Spring Daylight Saving Time forces a phase advance. We’re asked to fall asleep earlier and wake up earlier, all at once. That’s a whole lot biologically harder than delaying sleep, which is why traveling east often feels worse than traveling west.

In contrast, the fall time change delays the clock, aligning more closely with the body’s natural tendency.

Spring asks the circadian system to hurry. The body responds slowly.

3. Morning Light Disappears When We Need It Most

Light is the most powerful cue for setting the circadian rhythm.

After the spring time change, mornings become darker while evenings stay brighter longer. This combination works against sleep in two ways:

• Dark mornings make it harder to feel alert and anchored to the day

• Brighter evenings delay melatonin release, pushing sleep later (raise your hand if your sleep schedule has ever been disrupted by the long summer days?) 

Just when the body needs strong morning light to reset, it receives less of it. That’s just the nature of the spring Dayling Savings Time change. At the same time, increased evening light signals wakefulness when the body should be winding down.

This mismatch between clock time & light exposure makes adjustment slower & generally more uncomfortable.

4. The Effects Linger Longer Than One Night

Spring Daylight Saving Time is often treated as a single rough Monday.

In reality, like we mentioned earlier, research suggests it can take four days to a full week, sometimes longer, for the body to fully adjust to losing one hour. During this window, people commonly experience:

• Fragmented sleep

• Reduced concentration and reaction time

• Mood changes and irritability

• Increased stress sensitivity

Because the disruption is subtle, but persistent, it can feel harder to name. Many people sense that something feels off without realizing it’s still the clock change working in the background.

5. We Personalize a System-Level Problem

Perhaps the most overlooked factor is how we interpret the disruption.

Spring fatigue is often framed as a personal failure. People tell themselves they should be more disciplined, go to bed earlier, or push through.

However, it’s important not to look at this as a willpower issue. It’s actually a biological response to an abrupt change, layered on top of modern evenings filled with artificial light, screens, and constant stimulation. It’s kind of like jet lag. 

When we blame ourselves, we create unnecessary stress, which further interferes with sleep. A gentler response allows the body to do what it needs to do, and that is to adjust gradually.

How to Prepare for the Spring Time Change

Preparation doesn’t require perfection. Small, intentional shifts before and after the clock change can soften the impact.

In the days leading up to the change:

• Gradually shift bedtime earlier by 15 to 20 minutes

• Reduce evening screen use to limit artificial light exposure

• Spend time outside in natural daylight during the morning

• Avoid scheduling late nights right before the transition

These small adjustments help signal the body that a change is coming, without forcing it.

A Gentle 4–7 Day Reset Approach

Think of the week after the time change as an adjustment period, not a test.

Day-by-day checklist:

Morning

• Get natural light as early as possible

• Wake up at the same time each day, even if sleep was imperfect

• Move your body lightly to signal daytime

Daytime

• Limit caffeine after early afternoon

• Take brief outdoor breaks when possible

• Keep meals at consistent times

Evening

• Dim lights one to two hours before bed

• Put screens away earlier than usual. If you usually limit interaction with digital screens 60min before bed, try 2hrs. 

• Choose calming activities like reading, stretching, or journaling

Night

• Go to bed when sleepy, not just when the clock says so

• If sleep feels fragmented, avoid clock-watching (this could lead to insomnia) 

• Remind yourself that adjustment is in progress

Repeat this rhythm for four to seven days. Most people notice sleep stabilizing gradually rather than all at once.

A Final Thought From Mudita 

Spring Daylight Saving Time brings brighter evenings, longer days, and the quiet excitement of a season opening up. Those shifts are genuinely positive. At the same time, the body still needs care as it adapts.

At Mudita, we believe that how you wake up matters just as much as how you fall asleep. Gentle mornings support healthier nights, especially during periods of transition like the spring time change.

That is why both Mudita Bell 2 & Mudita Harmony 2 use a light-enhanced alarm that gradually brightens the room, mimicking a natural sunrise. This soft increase in light supports the body’s natural waking process, helping ease the transition from sleep rather than pulling you out of it abruptly.

Both alarm clocks are also Certified for Calm and Mindful Design, having received the Platinum Calm Technology Certification 2025, the highest recognition for technology that respects attention and promotes well-being. Testers highlighted their thoughtfully balanced acoustic design, which avoids jarring tones, as well as the careful approach to minimizing light pollution.

This recognition affirms what we set out to create. Mudita Bell 2 & Mudita Harmony 2 are not only tools for optimization or performance. We’d like you to think about them as mindful companions, designed to support calmer evenings, gentler mornings, and a more respectful relationship with rest.

As the days grow longer, taking the time to give your body time to adjust is the sensible thing to do. It’s an act of self-care, and one that allows you to move into the new season feeling more grounded, rested, and present.