Falling back is the nice one

Hi,

Every year around now, somebody at the front desk tells me they're dreading the time change. And every year I tell them the November one is the nice one. You get an hour back. I will take a free hour any day of the week.

Turns out the research mostly agrees with me, which I plan to bring up at dinner.

A team led by researchers at the University of Cologne reviewed 157 studies from 36 countries on how clock changes affect health. Springing forward in March had the rougher record, including about a 4% bump in heart attack risk the week after. Falling back looked different: about a 2.5% drop in deaths from all causes, longer sleep, and fewer workplace accidents. It was published in the European Journal of Epidemiology in February.

To be straight with you, it isn't all good news, and most of these studies show patterns, not proof. The authors' bigger point was that the story about every clock change being uniformly bad for you doesn't hold up.

The catch with falling back is the dark. Starting November 1, a lot of us will be driving home with the sun already gone. The extra hour helps your sleep. The early sunsets are a separate problem, and they're the one to plan for.

a sanctuary where silence meets innovation - samanafloat.com

The Weekly Reset

Here's this week's practice, the one thing I'd actually ask you to try.

Starting this weekend, get outside within an hour of waking up, even for ten minutes. Morning light is one of the main signals your internal clock uses to figure out what time it is, and it's about to have to relearn. Give it a head start before the clocks change.

This week's line to carry with you: Morning light first, phone second.

For the ones working overtime right now

This one's for the parents. Halloween lands the night before the clocks fall back this year, which means the sugar crash and the time change show up together.

If you have small kids, that extra hour is not going to be sleep. It's going to be a tiny person in half a costume asking for candy at 5am, because their body thinks it's 6.

Book yourself something for the week after. You will have earned it.

Dig Deeper

What 157 studies say about changing the clocks A University of Cologne-led review across 36 countries found the spring change carries more risk, while falling back was tied to lower overall mortality and longer sleep. Published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, February 2026.

How to adjust to the time change The Sleep Foundation's practical guide, including shifting your schedule gradually a few days ahead and using morning light to reset. It also notes that the November change is usually the easier one.

The case for permanent standard time The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's position statement arguing the U.S. should stay on standard time year-round. Published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2020, so it's a few years old, but it's useful context for the debate that comes back every fall.

This week's meditation

A free, guided practice worth carrying into your week, hand-picked from a source we actually trust.

The Art of Letting Go, by Tara Brach** About twenty minutes, completely free. A practice for softening when things feel like too much, which seems right for the week the evenings start going dark early.

Give yourself an hour

Book a float this week, in Denver or Fort Collins. Or go to bed twenty minutes earlier tonight and see how tomorrow feels.

Come Say Hi

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Come hang out with us between issues. Find Heather on Instagram, Samana Float on Instagram, or Samana Float on Facebook.

— Heather