It’s that time of year again – Daylight Saving Time (DST).  This Sunday, November 5 at 2:00 am, we can turn our clock back one hour catching up on an extra precious 60 minutes of sleep.  When comparing losing an hour of sleep in the spring or gaining an hour in the fall, most of us relish the falling back of time to take that power hour of sleep.  Think of it sort of like an early Christmas present since up to 35 percent of Americans report getting less than seven hours of sleep per night.

Why does DST affect our health?

Losing or gaining an hour may not seem like a big deal but the reality is the twice a year time of transition of DST can have consequences on our health.  That one simple act of one hour of change can cause disruptions to our internal clock otherwise known as circadian rhythm.  Often referred to as the “body clock,” the circadian rhythm is a cycle telling our bodies when to sleep, rise, eat and which also regulates many physiological processes.  This internal clock is affected by environmental cues like sunlight and temperature.  When one’s circadian rhythm is disrupted, sleeping and eating patterns can go haywire.  There is even a growing body of research examining the adverse health effects a disrupted circadian rhythm can have, like increasing the chances of cardiovascular events, obesity, and a correlation with neurological problems like depression and bipolar disorder.

What health consequences does DST cause?

Here are some positive and negative health effects of DST:

·      May trigger depression

Even though we gain an hour during the fall DST, it also means the darkness of evening arrives much earlier making for longer periods without daylight.  This can result in increasing mental illness such as bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder or SAD, also known as winter depression.   A Danish study found there was an 11% increase in depression after switching back our clocks in the fall.  Another study from Australia found that male suicides rates increased the after the spring and fall DST shift. 

·      Triggers release of melatonin

Falling back one hour in the fall means losing the number of sunlight hours we come to expect during the spring and summer.  As the sky darkens earlier and earlier, that will trigger the release of melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland that helps to maintain normal sleep patterns.  On the one hand that can be a good thing but on the other, the early arrival of darkness each night may leaving you feeling sluggish making it less you’ll want to hit the gym and would rather instead stay home and hibernate. 

To combat these hibernation feelings, stick to a sleep routine – go to bed and wake up at the same time each day and avoid three-hour power naps in the afternoon.  This also includes weekends – you want to keep your weekday and weekend schedules almost identical since our bodies do not react well to drastically different sleep cycles throughout the week.

·      Triggers feelings of transition

Disrupting our circadian rhythm can have some consequences of feelings of extra tiredness, reduced productivity, concentration, and feeling “out of sorts” with our regular routine.  The good news is these feelings will wane dramatically within just a few days of adjusting to the new change of time. 

·      Fall DST triggers more sleep

It makes sense that gaining that extra hour of sleep of the DST in the fall should result in more sleep.  Gaining that one hour is far more beneficial for our health than losing an hour in the spring.  It has been found that on the Monday in the fall after the DST transition, heart attack rates decrease.  Our hearts speak loud and clear – they like falling back one hour instead of springing ahead one hour.  Insufficient sleep messes with the body’s hormones and increases the levels of inflammatory chemicals that contribute to heart disease. 

How to make the DST transition go smoothly

To get through the next couple of days of adjusting to the new time change, here are some tips of making this transition as smoothly as possible:

·      Have a nighttime ritual.  Get your body in the habit of slowing down before bedtime.  Dim your lights and take a warm bath or shower.  Turn off the TV and put your phone, computer or tablet away.  Any and all screen time should be avoided.  Electronics’ high-intensity light hinders melatonin keeping your brain stimulated making falling asleep more difficult.

·      The night before DST, go to bed on Saturday and get up on Sunday at your usual times

·      Keep your bedroom curtains or blinds closed since the Sunday sunrise will come an hour early

·      Once awake, expose yourself to daylight as soon as you wake up on Sunday

·      Maintain your normal routine for your Sunday schedule including mealtimes

·      Eat a healthy breakfast – food tells your body the day has begun

·      Go for a walk sometime on Sunday – being outdoors exposed to light helps to adjust your body clock