The clocks go forward early this year — here are the 3 ways it will impact your sleep and why the 7:1 rule is crucial to avoid sleep deprivation and morning fatigue

The image shows a dark haired woman wearing stripy pyjamas in bed squinting into the sunlight as she turns off her alarm clock.

This year, the clock change will happen on the earliest possible date. So for all American states bar Arizona and Hawaii, the clocks go forward on March 8th 2026 at 2am. When this happens, you will lose an hour of sleep.

While you might think it’s ‘just’ an hour of sleep so no big deal, doctors and longevity experts are warning that this seemingly small disruption to your sleep can have long-lasting effects.

To find out more, we spoke to Dr. Jennifer Timmons, a longevity physician, Dr. Kevin Postol, a board-certified sleep dentist, and Dr. Daniella Marchetti, a PSYPACT-certified sleep specialist, to discuss the ways your sleep is disrupted by the clock change, and what you can do to protect your sleep.