El Paso Sleep Center offers tips to prepare for the end of Daylight Saving Time

EL PASO, Texas -- Some good news if you've been feeling a little tired this week. In just a few days, Daylight Saving Time will come to an end giving you an extra hour to catch some sleep.

Dr. Gonzalo Diaz of the El Paso Sleep Center said the winter is busy time for him. During this time, the doctor said many of his patients suffer from seasonal depression.

“There's so many studies that show when you don't sleep well, you have a higher chance to gain weight, there's a higher chance to develop diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, and stroke," Diaz said.

And the time change doesn't make it any easier. According to recent study by the National Institutes of Health, nearly 150,000 Americas experience health problems caused by the biannual changes.

Mix in problems from the pandemic, it became a recipe for sleep disaster. “A lot of anxiety, a lot of people with the Covid-19 had pneumonia, (their) oxygen drops at night," causing sleep apnea in some cases, he said.

But "falling back" could help you get your sleep schedule and while it may seem like a challenge, you can become morning person.

Diaz said a consistent sleep schedule is key. "If you go to bed at 10 o'clock at night and you wake up at six (in the morning) when the sunrises, (that's) the key to maintaining your circadian rhythm in the morning," he said.

This weekend, Diaz said to help adjust start going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier for the next few days.

Putting your phone down at least 30 minutes before bed is also a big plus for better sleep. Diaz also said exposure to sunlight will also help with your internal clock.

“It's very important to take sleep very seriously. In other words, this is the key to be healthy.”

To learn more about the El Paso Sleep Center, click here, and don't forget to change your clocks when the end to Daylight Saving time arrives on Sunday, Nov. 7.