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Springing Forward, Daylight Saving Time, Supplements, And Getting A Good Night's Sleep

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - This weekend is perhaps the most universally disliked weekend of the year - it's the weekend we all lose an hour of sleep as we spring forward to Daylight Saving Time.

The cons can be serious and the pros last from now until fall.

A lot of people agree, they wish that we could just stay in DST, keeping more daylight into the evening.

Our bodies feel the same, not just mentally, but at a cellular level.

"These cells can get out of whack," AHN sleep specialist Dr. Daniel Shade said.

Dr. Shade said the Daylight Saving Time effect goes just beyond fatigue and feeling sleepy.

"The sleep deprivation itself by losing an hour can cause an increase in an accident," he explained. "We've seen on the day after we switch to Daylight Saving Time, the risk of heart attack and the admissions for heart attack goes up by about 25-percent on that Monday after we switch."

While it may seem on the surface that you can handle it okay, it does take its toll on our bodies, including messing with circadian rhythms.

"That controls our body temperature, our immune system, and to some extent, our fatigue and sleepiness level," Dr. Shade said.

Dr. Shade said that the antidote to that is simple - sunlight!

"That gets everything back to where it should be the next day okay, we're sitting here this is our starting point. Let's go," he said.

He explained it can take your body a week to adjust to the time change and if you still aren't feeling normal after that, it's a good idea to see your doctor.

WATCH: Melatonin Usage, How Much And How Long Is It Necessary?

There's also the option of using something like melatonin, which can help you get to sleep and isn't a sleeping pill, but there are drawbacks.

Melatonin is something we naturally make in our bodies but it's a bit strange.

"It only comes out in the darkness, light seems to inhibit melatonin secretion, so they call it 'The Vampire Hormone' because it only comes out at night, Dr. Shade said. "It puts the body in a conducive state to sleep."

While it's not a sleeping bill, Dr. Shade describes it more as a sleep coordinator for the body.

"Telling the body, 'I want you to to start to think about falling asleep in 90 minutes or so,'" he explained. "Then it gets all the other chemicals that do the heavy work ready to go."

That 90-minute window is important, he said that many make the mistake of taking melatonin right before bedtime.

There's also the question of dosage, how much do you need for a good night's sleep?

"Anywhere between three and seven milligrams, although I have had patients go to 10 milligrams or so," he said.

Be careful, though, because too much and the next day will not be a pleasant, well-rested one.

"It could feel like a headache, maybe little nausea, you definitely don't feel like moving," Dr. Shade said. "You just feel like staying in bed, you're maybe a little achy, feels like you've been up all night."

So finding that right dose is a matter of trial and error once you do because, in the short-term, there are very few side effects we know of.

Long-term, while there haven't been studies, Dr. Shade recommends against taking melatonin for too long. If you feel the need, there may be another issue you should get checked out.

He also says to be aware of the label on melatonin. Since it's an over-the-counter, unregulated supplement, it's best to find a reputable, trusted brand name.

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