DON'T SACRIFICE SLUMBER OR SAFETY WHILE SWITCHING TO DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME!        
Sleep Expert Offers Tips on Surviving the Spring Forward This Weekend
  

For many, the switch to daylight saving time robs us of one hour of sleep.

Sleep deprivation is a serious health issue that can have tragic consequences. Researchers find the disruption of the sleep-wake cycle causes an increase in accidents from the home to the workplace. Safety agencies find pedestrian deaths also jump in the weeks after the time change. The victims include children on their way to and from school.

But is it just that one-hour sleep loss that's throwing people out of whack? A nationally recognized sleep expert believes there could be something much more serious going on.

 "If you notice a drastic change during daylight saving time, you probably have an underlying sleep disorder," says Dr. Barry Krakow, author of Sound Sleep, Sound Mind: 7 Keys to Sleeping Through the Night.  "There are millions of people who are not affected by daylight saving time. A one-hour sleep loss should not cause that much havoc. It's very likely a marker of something else going on in your sleep."

Dr. Krakow says sleep breathing, movements, insomnia, nightmares and  sleep walking or talking could be the real problem. And most of the people suffering from these disorders have no idea what's making them so tired. 

For those who don't have a sleep disorder, but want to avoid that groggy feeling that comes with losing an hour of sleep, Dr. Krakow offers the following advice.

"The single tip that works the best is incredibly simple. When you wake up this Saturday morning, turn your clocks forward and live your day based on that schedule," says Dr. Krakow. "That way you'll end up going to sleep closer to a normal time. It's unbelievably powerful."

For more tips on surviving the switch to daylight saving time and identifying sleep disorders, Dr. Krakow is available for interviews (including phone queries) through this weekend when daylight saving time kicks in.

Dr. Barry Krakow is a Silver Spring native. He is Medical Director for Maimonides Sleep Arts & Sciences and founder of the Nightmare Treatment Center. In addition, Dr. Krakow's works have been published in numerous medical, psychiatric and sleep journals. Dr. Krakow has also appeared on ABC's 20/20, CBS's Sunday Morning and CBS's Early Morning shows.