It's that time again already?

Don't forget to change your clocks this weekend for Daylight Savings Time.

While losing an hour's sleep doesn’t seem like much, over time, its affects can add up.

A sleep problem lasting longer than 30 days could mean you’ve joined the ranks of millions already suffering from sleep disorders.

“A sleep deficit shouldn’t be considered merely a nuisance that makes people feel bad,” said Dr. Saima Rashid, a physician on the medical staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford. “Insufficient sleep has been linked to the development and management of chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, chronic sleep problems caused by a sleep disorder or poor sleep hygiene affect an estimated 70 million Americans. When Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 14, at 2 a.m., and the clocks “spring” forward one hour, many people may have trouble adjusting to a new sleep schedule.

National Sleep Awareness Week, an annual public education and awareness campaign to promote the importance of sleep, recommends:

Adults:
• Go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each morning.
• Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment.
• Make sure your bed is comfortable and use it only for sleeping and not for other activities, such as reading, watching TV, or listening to music
• Physical activity may help promote sleep, but not within a few hours of bedtime.
• Avoid large meals before bedtime.

Adolescents/Young Adults:
• Avoid caffeinated drinks after lunch.
• Avoid bright light in the evening.
• Avoid arousing activities around bedtime, such as heavy study, text messaging and prolonged conversations.
• Expose yourself to bright light upon awakening in the morning.
• While sleeping in on weekends is permissible, it should not be more than 2–3 hours past your usual wake time, to avoid disrupting your circadian rhythm governing sleepiness and wakefulness.
• Avoid pulling an “all-nighter” to study.