To adjust a day plan in Owaves for a clock change, move Sleep and the blocks around it 15 minutes a night for the four nights before the change, dragging the black circles on My BodyClock in edit mode. Move them earlier before clocks spring forward and later before they fall back. After the change, your saved Day Plan’s clock times fit again.
Key takeaways
- US clocks move 1 hour twice a year: forward on the second Sunday of March, back on the first Sunday of November (NIST).
- The AASM suggests bedtime 15 or 20 minutes earlier each night before the spring change, plus early morning sunlight (2013).
- Our suggested pace: 15 minutes a night for four nights, mirrored later for fall back.
- In Owaves, enter edit mode (pencil or double-tap), drag the black circles, tap the checkmark.
- Edit single days; after the change, the saved Day Plan fits again.
Why plan for a clock change at all?
Because the wall clock moves an hour in one night, and the body clock does not. A review in Sleep Medicine Reviews concluded that data suggest the spring change brings more broken sleep and slower sleep onset across at least the following week, and found little evidence of extra sleep on the autumn change night (Harrison, 2013).
For dates and history, see When Does Daylight Saving Time End?
Which way should the plan move?
Earlier before spring forward, later before fall back, so you arrive already living on the new clock.
| Clock change | What the clock does | Move Sleep and your morning blocks | Light that may help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring forward (March) | 2 AM becomes 3 AM | 15 minutes earlier a night, for four nights | Daylight soon after waking |
| Fall back (November) | 2 AM becomes 1 AM | 15 minutes later a night, for four nights | Light later in the day rather than early morning |
The four-night count and the fall-back version are our own arithmetic, not AASM guidance. The light column follows a Harvard lab study of 21 healthy adults: bright light given before the nightly low point of body temperature moved the clock later, and light after it, toward morning, moved it earlier (Khalsa et al., Journal of Physiology, 2003). It did not test clock changes, so the fall-back light tip is our inference.
Light helps steps work. When 28 healthy young adults moved sleep 1 hour earlier a day for 3 days, body-clock timing (melatonin) moved about 0.6 hours earlier in dim indoor light but about 2.1 hours earlier with continuous bright light for the first 3.5 hours after waking (Burgess et al., Journal of Biological Rhythms, 2003). Our 15 minutes a night is gentler.
How do you move your blocks in Owaves?
Drag the edges of Sleep in edit mode, per the Owaves FAQ on planning or editing a day.
- Open the first shift day, four nights before the change.
- Enter edit mode. Tap the pencil icon at the top right, or double-tap the space around the circle.
- Move bedtime. Drag the black circle at the start of Sleep 15 minutes: earlier for spring forward, later for fall back. The time shows in the middle of the circle.
- Move wake time the same 15 minutes, so your sleep keeps its length.
- Shift the neighbors, such as wind-down and the first morning block, so the day closes with no gaps.
- Tap the checkmark to save.
- Repeat on the next three days, 15 minutes further each time, reaching the full hour by the night of the change.
For the colors, see What Do the Colors in Owaves Mean?
How do you keep your alarm and reminders in step?
The Owaves FAQ on using Owaves as an alarm clock puts the morning Alert on the activity right after Sleep, and recommends one on the activity before nighttime Sleep. Those blocks move, so check both alerts on each shift day.
What happens to a Day Plan that repeats?
Leave it alone during the shift days. Once the clocks change, your usual clock times match your shifted body clock again. To keep different times, edit the saved plan, per the Owaves FAQ on editing a saved Day Plan: tap the profile icon at the top left, tap Day Plans, choose the plan, tap the pencil, make your changes, tap the checkmark, then tap Save. How to Save and Repeat a Day Plan covers repeat days and seasons.
How do you check the new sunrise and sunset?
Per the Owaves FAQ, allowing Location (iPhone Settings, then Owaves, then Location, While Using the App) gives accurate sunrise and sunset times for your local time zone. After falling back, sunrise and sunset come an hour earlier by the clock, so check that a daylight walk still falls in daylight. With Apple Health connected, the blue indicators around the inner circle show tracked sleep to compare with your plan.
Your day on My BodyClock
The day above is a settled workday: Sleep from 10:30 PM to 6:30 AM, a Flow block carrying the morning alert, a daylight walk, then work, meals, a workout, family time and a dim wind-down. For a clock change, only Sleep and its neighbors move.
Find your Body Clock Type with the Body Clock Quiz and download Owaves on the App Store or join the Android waitlist. For the method on any schedule, see How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule.
FAQ
How do I adjust my sleep for daylight saving time?
Shift bedtime and wake time 15 minutes a night over four nights: earlier for spring forward, later for fall back. The AASM suggests 15 or 20 minutes earlier each night before the spring change.
Does Owaves change my plan automatically when the clocks change?
The Owaves FAQ doesn’t describe a daylight-saving setting. After the change, check that Sleep sits where you want it by the new clock.
Should I move my whole day or just my sleep?
Move Sleep, then the blocks that touch it. Before the spring change, the AASM also suggests eating dinner a little earlier each night.
How long does it take to adjust to the clock change?
It varies. A review found sleep effects across at least the week after the spring change, and a net loss of sleep across the week after the autumn change.
Sources
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), “Daylight Saving Time Rules,” https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/daylight-saving-time-dst
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine, “Minimize the effect of daylight saving time by adjusting your sleep schedule,” 7 March 2013. https://news.cision.com/american-academy-of-sleep-medicine/r/minimize-the-effect-of-daylight-saving-time-by-adjusting-your-sleep-schedule,c9382002
- Burgess HJ et al., “Preflight adjustment to eastward travel: 3 days of advancing sleep with and without morning bright light,” Journal of Biological Rhythms, August 2003. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748730403253585
- Khalsa SB et al., “A phase response curve to single bright light pulses in human subjects,” Journal of Physiology, June 2003. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2003.040477
- Harrison Y, “The impact of daylight saving time on sleep and related behaviours,” Sleep Medicine Reviews, August 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2012.10.001
- Owaves, “How do I plan or edit my day?” FAQ, updated 30 May 2024. https://owaves.com/faq/how-do-i-enter-edit-mode/
- Owaves, “How do I edit a saved Day Plan?” FAQ. https://owaves.com/faq/how-do-i-edit-a-saved-day-plan/
- Owaves, “Can I use Owaves as my alarm clock?” FAQ. https://owaves.com/faq/can-i-use-owaves-as-my-alarm-clock/
- Owaves, “How do I get accurate sunrise and sunset times?” FAQ. https://owaves.com/faq/how-do-i-get-accurate-sunrise-and-sunset-times/
- Owaves, “What do the orange and blue indicators surrounding the inner circle represent?” FAQ. https://owaves.com/faq/what-do-the-orange-and-blue-indicators-surrounding-the-inner-circle-represent/
- Owaves: My BodyClock, App Store listing. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/owaves-worlds-first-wellness/id869648628
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