Why Daylight Saving Time Is Harder on Your Body Than You Think

Every November, the clocks fall back by one hour, and most of us treat it as a welcome gift: a free extra hour of sleep before a quiet Sunday. On paper, it sounds like a restoration. In practice, the days that follow often feel subtly off in ways that are difficult to name. Energy dips arrive earlier in the afternoon. Sleep, which was supposed to improve, sometimes becomes less reliable. The light disappears before dinner, and the body seems to register the loss in ways that go beyond the inconvenience of a darker commute.