Can clocks falling back affect your health? Wellness tips for daylight saving time change
When daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, millions of Americans will gain an extra hour of sleep when clocks are turned back an hour.
But does the extra 60 minutes of sleep come with a cost?
According to experts at RWJBarnabas Health, a recent study showed that turning the clocks back can seriously affect physical and mental health.
According to the American Heart Association, a Finnish study found the risk of having a stroke increases 8% during the first two days of time changes.
Another study found the risk of a heart attack jumped 24% the Monday after daylight saving time begins or ends.
How does daylight saving time affect physical and mental health?
According to Dr. Frank A. Ghinassi, senior vice president of the Behavioral Health Service Line at RWJBarnabas Health and president and CEO of Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, humans and animals are very sensitive to changes in sleep and light.
But, unlike other animals, humans run on clock-based schedules
"Changes in the season, changes in light − these have effects on us," Ghinassi said. "Moodwise and to some extent biologically, we're very sensitive to sleep-, wake- and light-cycle changes."
Ghinassi likens this to jetlag. Even an hour change can have a big impact on physical and mental health.
"Circadian rhythm, sleep/wake time, all of our scheduled time, our social rhythm − all are sensitive to a couple of things," Ghinassi said. "Although an hour doesn't seem like a lot, even an hour shift can make a difference.
More: Survey says 74% of people want to end daylight saving time clock change
Sensitivity to light is also an issue.
Light helps humans orient waking times, social functioning and biological function, the doctor explained. When you move the clock ahead in the spring and move it back in the fall, "it fairly dramatically changes the light structure at the end of the day."
Before the time change in the fall, people have already started to slowly adjust to daylight getting shorter. Little by little people can adjust to that shift in weeks, if not months, he said.
"But now, it's going to jump a big amount in one day and that light shifts onto a darker afternoon," Ghinassi said. "That light shift can affect mood, can affect productivity and energy levels and can drive a lot of internal mechanisms that can affect both physical and behavioral health."
Ghinassi said shifts in light can affect depression and anxiety levels.
"These kinds of changes may have an effect on the general population − you may feel a little more gloomy when you leave the office and it's dark. That's going to affect you on a biological and an emotional level. So it can affect your mood," Ghinassi said.
"But about 17 to 20 people out of 100 already live with, say, a depression or anxiety disorder. This is one more factor that can help trigger an increase in that depressive feeling. This is a little different than just feeling blue. It may be one of the things that serves as a straw that broke the camel's back. A trigger. You were sort of staying in front of those feelings, but the light change is just one more thing that can contribute to going from managing to being vulnerable to that one more thing that changes the balance."
How to cope with daylight saving time change
There are "Back to Basics" strategies Ghinassi recommends for coping with the time change:
Positive affirmations − Write down one or two positive (and different) affirmations about yourself every morning. Read them again in the evening, before adding another one or two every evening to the list. Do this for 30 days in a row. Affirmations can be any aspect of yourself − physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological.
Healthy sleep routines − Regulate sleep by going to sleep and waking up at the same time, even when there's a change in the light structure. This also includes weekends.
Physical activity − At least 30 minutes of physical activity. It does not require going to the gym or strenuous exercise. Walking is fine.
Eat three meals a day.
Review the use of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine. All three substances can have a negative impact on restful sleep. Alcohol is problematic for all the obvious reasons, but it also can put people to sleep more quickly if consumed near bedtime but may likely result in interrupted sleep. As the alcohol wears off, people spend less time in deep sleep. Nicotine is a stimulant and while people think it relaxes them and makes them less anxious, it can create stimulation. It can affect sleep. Caffeine has a very long half life and can stay in your system for eight to nine hours after consumption; it is not recommended after 11 a.m.
When to seek medical help around daylight saving time change
Ghinassi said there are a few symptoms that let a person know when it is time to seek professional help.
More: Am I OK? How to do a mental health check
"Sometimes you'll notice these in yourself. Other times, people will point this out to you," Ghinassi said. "Remain open to that kind of feedback from others."
Some of those significant changes are:
Increased difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep.
Eating more than usual or less than usual. A weight gain or loss of more than 5 pounds.
Changes in attitude, such as finding things that typically bring joy − movies, music, ice cream, socializing − are not giving you joy.
Family and friends pointing out irritability, frustrations or a change in interactions. Have others been asking "Are you okay?" or noticing changes in irritability levels.
Experiencing any signs of either helplessness, or, more concerning, hopelessness about the future.
email: cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Daylight saving time: How do people cope with clocks falling back?
