Daylight savings time: How to prepare your body - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

An extra hour of daylight can do a number on your body.

Sleep experts tell us while springing forward gives us more light, adjusting to the time change can influence our health for a time to come.

"What happens when we change the clock we're throwing off our bodies natural rhythm. And our bodies don't adjust immediately just because the clock changed doesn't mean that our bodies changes," said Dr. Shelby Harris with New York's Montefiore Medical Center.

She says when many are already not getting enough shut-eye, losing another hour could potentially increase your heart attack risk.

"There was a study in I believe 2008 that was out of Sweden that showed that there was a five percent increase in heart attacks at that time in the morning because you're waking up an hour earlier and peoples cardiovascular systems are a little more unstable earlier in the morning, and if you're already possibly at risk for having a heart attack you might be at a greater risk if you're having to wake up earlier than usual. There's more car accidents because of one less hour of sleep. People's attention, concentration, motor function are actually impaired just for one hour less of sleep," said Harris.

Harris suggests trying to get your body to adjust before the clock change may make the transition easier.

"Starting on Wednesday the week before is go to bed and wake up fifteen minutes earlier every day so Wednesday night you'll go to bed at 10:45 instead of 11. Instead of waking up at 7:00, wake up at 6:45. Then do 10:30 with a 6:30 wake up and just go to bed 15 minutes earlier each day and wake up then when the clock changes you're actually on the new schedule," she suggests.

Harris tells people n that Sunday morning, don't be lazy around the house.

Get up and get as much sunlight as possible.

It will help make the change a little bit easier.

- Content provided by FOX News' David Lee Miller