Daylight Saving Time May Be Affecting Your Health

Throughout the world, daylight has been associated with productivity for centuries. It was even the basis of this well-known proverb published by Benjamin Franklin: “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”  

To make the most of daylight, many countries use daylight saving time (DST). In the United States, each year, participating states maintain DST by making biannual time changes — “spring forward” when clocks are turned forward one hour on the second Sunday in March; and “fall backward” when clocks are turned back one hour on the second Sunday in November.  

While DST is credited with lowering electricity costs, boosting retail and increasing participation in outdoor activities, many people consider the practice outdated.  

Unfortunately, it’s not just outdated. It carries serious health risks. DST is linked with a rise in heart attacks and motor vehicle crashes in the few days surrounding spring forward. It also disrupts sleep patterns, raising the risk of chronic diseases. Here’s how.  

Why are time changes so problematic?  

Our bodies function on circadian rhythms — 24-hour cycles serving as the body's internal clock. These rhythms are controlled by the circadian pacemaker in the brain, which relies on daylight to cue physiological functions, including sleep. When our eyes sense natural light, retinal cells inform the brain about the time of day and signal when to perform specific processes.  

This process also controls melatonin production, a hormone that helps your body unwind by lowering body temperature, decreasing alertness, and promoting sleepiness. Melatonin is produced in response to darkness, with higher levels in winter and lower levels in summer.  

When you miss an hour of sleep, including DST in the spring, it disrupts your circadian rhythm, causing noticeable fatigue, jet lag and insomnia-like symptoms. Although we gain an hour of sleep with DST in the fall, the earlier sunsets can initiate sleepiness, mood dips and/or disrupt sleep schedules.    

3 Ways Disrupted Sleep Can Lead to Chronic Disease  

Seven to nine hours of quality sleep allows your body to rest and recover. Poor quality sleep robs your body of repairing itself, leading to chronic diseases, such as obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia. This is because poor sleep can cause: 

High blood pressure. While you sleep, your heart rate and blood pressure drop, giving the cardiovascular system some rest and cardiovascular cells time to repair themselves. Without a break, blood pressure rises, eventually developing into hypertension, raising your risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, vision loss and sexual dysfunction.  

Hormonal shifts. While you sleep, your body produces hormones that help regulate metabolism, manage stress and control appetite. Poor sleep can cause hormonal swings that increase the risk of heart disease and its risk factors, such as metabolic disorder, diabetes, depression and obesity.  

Inflammation. While you sleep, your cardiovascular system rests, which keeps blood pressure under control. Hypertension activates cells in the blood vessel walls, triggering inflammation. Studies also show that poor sleep raises C-reactive protein levels, an inflammatory marker associated with cardiovascular disease.  

Quality sleep contributes to the glymphatic system’s removal of debris. During the deepest phase of sleep, cerebrospinal fluid clears the brain of beta-amyloid, a protein linked to brain cell damage. Poor sleep causes beta-amyloid to accumulate; in fact, one night of poor sleep results in higher-than-normal beta-amyloid levels. Elevated beta-amyloid levels trigger inflammation, eventually making it difficult to sleep. It also interferes with the ability to retain and consolidate memories. Lastly, it affects the structural integrity, size and function of the thalamus and hippocampus.  

3 Tips to Help You Offset the Effects of DST  

Get natural morning light exposure. Sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm and produces melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep.  

Establish and maintain daytime and sleep routines. It will be easier for your body to handle time changes if you follow a consistent schedule. Keep your daily activities, including meals, chores and workouts, at the same time regardless of the time change because your body knows when to expect activity and rest. Set a specific time to wake up and go to bed, and follow it, even on weekends. To help your sleep schedule stay on track, practice good sleep hygiene. This usually involves creating a calming bedtime routine with relaxing activities, e.g., meditating, reading or taking a warm bath and shutting off blue-light screens an hour before bed. Here’s more on sleep hygiene>>    

Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes each day releases endorphins, easing stress and improving mood, which helps you sleep better. Exercise also helps regulate your circadian rhythm.  

During the days around DST, be selective about the foods you eat, as they can affect your sleep. Choose whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. Limit sugar and refined carbohydrates; they raise blood sugar quickly, triggering insulin to help lower it. Insulin stimulates cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that help your body respond to stress but interfere with sleep.  

You also should avoid heavy, fatty foods that can make you feel sluggish and potentially interfere with sleep, as they’re notorious for causing digestive issues and nightmares. And limit caffeine intake, particularly in the afternoon.  

Finally, work with your primary care doctor. They can help you identify lifestyle behaviors that may affect your sleep patterns, adjust your medications and/or refer you to a specialist.  

If you don’t have a primary care physician, consider joining an MDVIP-affiliated practice. MDVIP-affiliated physicians have the time and tools to help identify the root cause(s) of the problem and create a customized action plan to help you sleep better. If you or a loved one needs an MDVIP-affiliated doctor, click here to locate one.