Is Daylight Savings Bad for Your Health?

This past Sunday marked the end daylight savings time, and you know what that means? It is time to set back the clock. While a lot of people think setting back the clock an hour is merely an inconvenience, some doctors warn it can be a potential health threat.

For people living in the United States, the end of daylight savings time means they get an extra hour of sleep. Which is great for those who enjoy a little extra sleep at night. However, that also means it will become darker a lot sooner. This, some may argue, could be detrimental to our health. With the end of daylight savings time there is an elimination to bright light in the mornings which can be crucial to synchronizing your biologic clock. With your body clock out of sync you are more likely to become sleep deprived and that in turn makes you more at risk of a heart attack or stroke.

This time change that happens twice a year can really misalign your biologic clock. People with more flexible circadian rhythms can adjust to the time change more quickly than others. Those who are more affected by daylight savings time, include children and people with neurological conditions. These people tend to lose an average of 15 to 20 minutes of sleep every time the switch occurs. Although this may seem like a small amount of time, it could bring along potential health problems.

Some doctors have found evidence that daylight savings time switches can cause disruptions in some people’s sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor to see what you can do to get your circadian rhythm back in sync.

For more information on daylight savings day and your health, click here.

Article written by William Graves.