With the promise of spring just a few weeks away, it is time to set the clocks forward for daylight saving time. We may be losing an hour of sleep, but the trade-off means we get an extra hour of daylight.
At 2 a.m. Sunday Canada with the exception of most of Saskatchewan, will spring forward by one hour.
Many will wake up Monday tired and groggy. Medical experts says not getting enough sleep can also affect how the body digests food and regulates blood sugar.
Officials say around this time they start to see a spike in car crashes which many link to driver fatigue.
American researchers also think there is a connection between daylight saving time and an increased risk for heart attacks.
Sleep specialists say the people that will most likely feel the time change are those who tend to go to bed late and wake up late.
To avoid this, sleep doctors say expose yourself to bright light first thing.
They also suggests trying to go to bed at least 15 to 20 minutes earlier than you normally do to ensure you get enough sleep.
Another trick is to take short naps – experts say the best are just 20 minutes long.
The time change can be even more troublesome for children and teens, who can be affected for up to a week.
Dr. Shelly Weiss, a pediatric sleep expert at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, said the best way for kids to adjust is to create a darker more sleep-conducive environment in the bedroom, even if it means removing electronic devices.
The Waterloo Fire Department is reminding people to take this opportunity to change the batteries in their smoke detectors.
The hour lost will be made up over the first weekend in November when clocks turn back.
With files from CTV Winnipeg’s Ina Sidhu and files from The Canadian Press
