“The effects are similar to a traveler flying between Chicago and Washington, D.C., and adjusting to the local time change,” he said. When they must begin to wake up at what effectively is an earlier time, especially when it’s now darker than it used to be, this means the delicate balance of circadian rhythm is disrupted, leading to daytime sleepiness, said Patil. “Without a circadian rhythm, we would not be able to maintain long periods of wakefulness and sleep like most humans do,” said Patil.ĭaylight saving time causes issues, according to Patil, because people usually wake up at a set time. They help ensure that we sleep at night and are awake during the day. “Circadian rhythms are natural, internal cycles within the body that regulate physical, mental, and behavioral changes over a 24-hour cycle,” said Patil.Ĭircadian rhythms play a critical role in regulating sleep and wakefulness, and are influenced by our exposure to light and darkness. Why does daylight saving time affect us this way?Įxperts Healthline spoke with say it all comes down to circadian rhythm and the way daylight saving time disturbs that rhythm. ![]() Andrea Matsumura, a sleep medicine physician at The Oregon Clinic and member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Public Safety Committee, the seasonal time changes associated with DST can lead to mood disturbances as well as “cyberloafing” and reduced productivity. Kristin Eckel-Mahan, an associate professor and circadian rhythm researcher with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, added that some studies have also shown an increase in workplace accidents in the week following the springtime change. ![]() “In addition, DST has been linked to an increase in heart-related issues such as the acute occurrence of heart attacks, stroke, and atrial fibrillation,” he said.ĭr. “The loss of sleep has been shown to result in an increase in car accidents during the week after the change to DST, and there can be an approximately 20 percent increase in patient safety-related incidents associated with human error,” said Patil. While we are going through this adjustment period, however, it can put our health and safety at risk. Susheel Patil, a clinical associate professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine who specializes in sleep medicine, said the time changes associated with daylight saving time typically cause us to lose sleep for about 1 week until we adapt to the change. How daylight saving time affects health and safetyĭr. While daylight saving time has been going on for decades now, scientists have begun to realize that any benefits that it provides may be outweighed by its negative effects on human health and safety. It soon spread to the rest of Europe and eventually reached the United States 2 years later on March 19, 1918. 6, they will reverse the process by “falling back” 1 hour.ĭaylight saving time (DST) is a practice that was first adopted by Germany on May 1, 1916, as a way to conserve fuel during World War I. On March 13, most of the United States - except for Arizona and Hawaii - “sprang forward,” adjusting their clocks ahead by 1 hour. In the meantime, a gradual shift in sleep schedule leading up to the time change may help minimize the effects. ![]() Many sleep experts are calling for it to be abolished.Daylight saving time can disrupt our circadian rhythms, making us less alert and prone to illness or accident.Scientists say this long-standing practice may actually be detrimental to our health and safety.shift their clocks forward by 1 hour for daylight saving time. Share on Pinterest Medical experts say springing forward each year can harm human health.
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