How Daylight Savings Affects Your Health

While springing forward does have its benefits – end of winter and more sun in the evenings – it also has its downsides, i.e., sleep loss. Though it may only be one hour, that’s one hour our chronically sleep-deprived population can’t afford to lose.

With all the news coming out about circadian rhythms and common sleep disorders like sleep apnea, it’s not surprising that moving the clocks forward has some negative side effects. Below are five ways that messing with time hurts your health:

Naturally, losing sleep throws your body out of its natural rhythm. As I mentioned above, more and more research is coming out about circadian rhythms, which essentially is the body’s internal clock. When the internal regulator for sleeping patterns is disrupted, it affects the quality and quantity of sleep.

The spring time change doesn’t only mean one hour less of sleep. According to a 2013 review in the Journal of Sleep Medicine, people sleep about an hour less for almost an entire week following the time change. It takes time to get the body back in sync with its natural, internal clock. So, don’t be surprised when you feel less alert and more stressed.

Research from the American College of Cardiology finds that moving the clocks forward may increase the risk of a heart attack. Data from more than 42,000 hospitals in Michigan revealed that heart attacks spiked by 25% the Monday following the springtime change. On the other hand, the opposite proved true when moving the clocks forward. Researchers discovered that heart attacks dropped by 21% the Tuesday after the fall time change.

The researchers did note that heart attacks often occur on Monday mornings anyway (more reason not to like Mondays). However, the added lack of sleep due to daylight saving time magnifies the likelihood of heart attacks. The National Sleep Foundation says that sleep deprivation affects metabolism and increases blood pressure, as well as inflammation. These side effects leave the body prone to heart problems.

This goes hand-in-hand with #1. Losing sleep means losing motivation. According to research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, if you’re tired, you don’t want to work. Instead of working, people were more inclined to surf the web for personal entertainment the day after the clocks spring forward, researchers found.

Google corroborated these findings. On the Monday following the time change, Google users searched for 3% more entertaining websites than the previous Monday. When tired, employees simply aren’t motivated, and they’re also not very attentive. Researchers explain that instead of paying attention to a meeting, people will scroll through social media instead. This distraction may hinder a person’s job performance.

So if you’re boss says anything about your productivity this next week, blame it on the time change.

If you manage heavy machinery or work in dangerous situations, then you’re at risk of injury following daylight saving time. A study, published by the American Psychological Association, analyzed an injury report covering the last two decades from the Mine Safety and Health Administration. The researchers found that losing an hour of sleep incurred, on average, four more injuries on the Monday after daylight savings. Missing just one hour of sleep is enough to affect your mental acuity. So, be careful at work this next week!

Losing sleep not only affects you at work but also on the road. Researchers from Stanford and Johns Hopkins Universities analyzed 21 years of car accident data. They ended up finding that fatal accidents increased by 6% after the time change.

Getting less than the recommended hours of sleep (6-8 hours) increases the chance of car accidents so much so that it’s like driving drunk. Fatigued driving is dangerous, so make sure to stock up on coffee this week.

The one good thing about daylight saving is that you always know when it’s going to happen. And because that is the case, you have ample time to prepare. There are a few tips that you can implement leading up to the time change to make it more bearable. The first is adjusting your sleep schedule. You want to begin shifting your bedtime earlier by 15-30 minutes each night. Similarly, wake up a few minutes earlier day by day.

If you’re already struggling with this shift in time, you don’t want to make it worse by introducing stimulants while you are trying to rest. Avoid bright lights from your phone, computer, and TV screen for at least an hour before bed. These lights can disrupt the body’s sleep hormone production. Additionally, consuming caffeine and alcohol late in the afternoon or evening can hinder the quality of your sleep.

These changes don’t need to happen all at once, but you do want to do it consistently. Even on your weekends!

Because daylight savings increases your chances of a heart attack and injury – whether at work or on the road – it’s important to have quality health coverage. Contact a licensed agent today to make sure you’re fully insured.