No, I did not prepare for the end of Daylight Saving Time this past weekend, when most US states set clocks back an hour. Sunrise and sunset now come an hour earlier, despite my protestations.

Experts advised planning for this change two weeks ago by shifting your sleeping schedule a bit each night. That did not happen in my house, where the workdays were long, everyone’s calendars were packed and a bad cold threw off our schedule for a week.

While the shift technically provided one extra hour of sleep on Sunday, many people didn’t feel that benefit. The sudden change can disrupt your body’s internal clock, leaving you tired in the morning, wide awake at night and sluggish throughout the day.

So what to do now that we’ve “fallen back”? How long does it take to adjust to standard time? Should I change how I sleep, eat or exercise during this transition to get back on track? How can adults help children adjust? What if the darker days ahead start affecting your mood?

To help get adjusted, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen. Wen is an emergency physician and adjunct associate professor at George Washington University. She previously was Baltimore’s health commissioner.

What happens to your body when the clocks change?

Dr. Leana Wen: Your internal clock, also called the circadian rhythm, is closely tied to light and darkness. When sunrise and sunset shift suddenly, your body’s natural rhythm doesn’t immediately keep up. Melatonin, the hormone that helps you feel sleepy, is still being released based on last week’s light schedule. That’s why you might find yourself wide awake later at night and struggling to get going in the morning.

It’s similar to jet lag, but instead of going across time zones, you’re changing time zones while staying home. Even a one-hour time change can cause temporary misalignment in your sleep-wake cycle. That can lead to fatigue, reduced alertness and changes in appetite and mood. For people who already sleep poorly and are in sleep debt, the effect can feel magnified. Your body needs time, consistent routines and light cues to reset.

How long does it take to adjust to standard time?

Wen: Most people start to feel better within a few days, but some need up to a week or more to fully adapt.

Children and teenagers may take longer to adjust since their circadian rhythms are naturally different from adults’. Teens tend to fall asleep later and wake up later, so early school start times combined with darker mornings can make them especially groggy. Parents may notice irritability, difficulty concentrating or early bedtime resistance during the first few days after the change. Older adults may also feel the impact more strongly because their melatonin rhythms shift earlier in the evening.

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