It’s that time of year again, daylight saving has come to haunt us and this time it is sadly “taking” an hour of our daily schedules.You go to bed at eleven for your 6 a.m. shift the following day, just to realize that what seemed like a good seven hours of sleep has actually turned into a meager six hours. You hope to make it through the eight dreadful hours of work, downing another coffee or perhaps an energy drink to keep yourself awake just to realize daylight saving is to blame.
There has always been a debate about whether daylight saving is worth the extra effort or if it’s just a waste of time (literally). Some people may go unaffected by this change of time, but your body’s internal clock has just begun a full on battle against any clock in the vicinity. Your alarm that reads 5 a.m. — WRONG. For your body it’s 4 a.m., your lovely dream just got cut short and now you have to get out of your warm comfy bed to get ready for the day. That process right there has caused an abrupt shift in what was your normal routine and its impacts don’t go unnoticed. You think maybe a nap later in the day will make up for it? That actually does have some potential to help your body adjust, however when you have to get in the car and drive to work, that’s when things get really risky. That energy drink you bought may be keeping you “awake” for the time being but driving when your body yearns for more sleep has shown the true costs of time loss.
All these factors account for a bigger issue that daylight saving brings. Yes, the loss of one singular hour of sleep has shown a 24% increase in heart attacks in a study reviewed by the American Heart Association. With higher levels of fatal car accidents and a greater number of work related injuries, especially in physically demanding jobs, the change in time has actually worsened people’s ability to work, drive and handle anything happening on the day of daylight saving.
To fight the disruption of our natural circadian rhythm, the American Heart Association recommends that individuals attempt to get as much daylight as possible. That means going outside sitting in the sun and finding at least a few minutes each day beforehand to help you feel the change through the sunshine. To account for the loss of the hour, it’s recommended that people go to bed a little earlier than usual to help adjust their internal sleep habits. And last but most importantly, do NOT drink extra caffeine in hopes of “staying awake longer”. The extra caffeine can have negative effects on your heart health (and your spending!) and can result in the need for medical attention.
So even though you may think daylight saving is necessary to keep us up to speed with the shifting times of daylight, it is important to not disregard any of the risks that come with it! Sleep extra, give yourself time and energy but don’t overcompensate for the loss by consuming too much caffeine for our body to handle; that slow approach into the Monday following daylight saving can help you avoid any stress, casualties, and fatigue!