WASHINGTON (AP) — As most of America “springs forward” Sunday for daylight saving time, losing that precious hour of sleep can do more than just make you feel tired and irritable the next day. It can actually have negative impacts on your health. The shift to darker mornings and longer evenings can disrupt your body clock, leading to sleep disturbances that can persist for weeks or even longer. Studies have shown an increase in heart attacks and strokes immediately following the March time change.
Fortunately, there are strategies to help ease this transition, such as getting more sunlight to reset your circadian rhythm for better sleep. Daylight saving time starts on Sunday at 2 a.m., causing most of the U.S. to lose an hour of sleep. The clocks will then “fall back” on November 2 when daylight saving time ends.
While Hawaii and most of Arizona stick to standard time year-round, along with Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, many countries around the world also observe daylight saving time at varying start and end dates. Some individuals attempt to prepare for the sleep disruption by adjusting their bedtime a few nights in advance. However, with a significant portion of American adults already not meeting the recommended seven hours of sleep per night, catching up can be challenging.
The brain operates on a circadian rhythm influenced by exposure to light and darkness, which dictates our sleep-wake patterns. Disruptions to this rhythm can have far-reaching effects on health, including heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity, and more. The spring time change has been linked to temporary increases in fatal car crashes and a rise in heart attacks and strokes, particularly on the Monday and following days after the transition.
To better prepare for daylight saving time, consider gradually shifting bedtime earlier by 15-20 minutes for several nights leading up to the change and waking up earlier the next morning. Spending time outdoors in the morning sunlight during the first week of daylight saving time can also aid in resetting your body’s internal clock. Adjusting daily routines, such as meal times and exercise schedules, can help your body adapt more smoothly to the time change.
Experts advise that afternoon naps and caffeine, as well as evening light from phones and other electronic devices, can make adjusting to an earlier bedtime even harder. The question of whether the U.S. will ever eliminate the time change continues to be a topic of discussion.
Every year, there is speculation about putting an end to the time change. In December, then-President-elect Donald Trump made a promise to eliminate daylight saving time. Despite this, a bipartisan bill called the Sunshine Protection Act, which aims to make daylight saving time permanent, has faced obstacles in Congress. The bill has been reintroduced this year.
However, this proposed change contradicts the recommendations of some health groups. The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine agree that it is time to eliminate time switches but argue that sticking with standard time year-round would be more beneficial. They believe that aligning with the sun and human biology would lead to more consistent sleep patterns.
This information comes from The Associated Press Health and Science Department, which is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
