When the clocks fall back, should your screen time too?

YOUNGSTOWN — With daylight saving time at an end, many people look forward to gaining an extra hour of sleep. But making the most of that extra time may require more than simply resetting the clocks. According to Mercy Health experts, evening screen use can interfere with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep and get the restorative rest the brain needs. “Sleep plays an important role in how we think, feel and function each day,” said Joseph Cataline, MD, a sleep medicine specialist with Mercy Health. “Light is one of the strongest signals that helps regulate our internal clock. Using phones, tablets or watching television close to bedtime can make it harder for the brain to shift into sleep mode, so creating some distance from screens before bed can be a simple but meaningful change.” Even one night of inadequate sleep can affect how people think, feel and function the next day. Poor sleep may impact attention, reaction time, decision-making and emotio