Newswise — On Sunday November 3rd, the nation will turn their clocks back one hour, ending daylight savings time. While the change of clocks means an extra hour of sleep for some, it can have an impact on your body and pose health risks.
Sleep doctors say changing the clocks back and forth twice a year can have serious health implications. There is legislation in Congress to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, meaning the clocks would remain on spring and summer time and not fall back for the fall and winter. While it may seem desirable to have more daylight hours while most Americans are awake, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine advocates we permanently stay on standard time, because it is more in line with a person’s natural bio-rhymes and produces less negative health outcomes.
“Our circadian rhythm is designed to be exposed to bright light when we get up in the morning, and it’s supposed to start getting darker in the evening, causing dim light melatonin secretion, which for most people starts around 7 P.M.,” says Adrian Pristas, M.D., Hackensack Meridian Director of Sleep Medicine. “If we have too much bright light in the evening, our body won’t produce the melatonin it needs to fall asleep in a timely manner.”
Daylight Saving Time typically causes a spike in cardiac incidents, atrial fibrillation, car accidents in adults as our bodies have a hard time adjusting to the change of the clocks, even by the one hour. But the switch to standard time can have an impact on shift workers who end up working a longer day, when the clock turns back.
Time Change and Depression
While the transition to standard time is believed to be more healthy for a person’s cardiac health, it can have a detrimental impact on a person’s mental health. A study found the sudden transition to standard time from daylight saving time results in an 11% increase in depressive episodes.
The change of time during daylight savings time in the fall may have different mental health effects on different people. Many will have minimal disruption to their daily lives while others may experience more clinically significant impacts.
“Some of the possible negative effects include disrupted sleep patterns due to losing one hour of sleep leading to short-term sleep deprivation, fatigue, and changes in concentration and productivity levels,” said Thomas F. Priolo, M.D., Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Consult-Liaison Psychiatry at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
“Coinciding with the change in time we also see an increase in incidence of depression, likely related to the reduction in sunlight. We also see an increase in anxiety secondary to the loss of the hour.”
Daylight savings time is generally considered the time of year when seasonal affective disorder also increases in symptom severity, lasting through the days of winter. With seasonal affective disorder we see depressed mood, low energy, decreased motivation which is an episodic mood disorder lasting throughout the winter months generally improving when spring starts and daylight hours start to increase again.
There are different ways to cope with these negative mental health effects of daylight savings time.
- Gradually adjust your sleep schedule in the days prior to time change so your body is used to this sudden change.
- Increase exposure to sunlight in the morning hours, which can help regulate your circadian rhythm and support a healthy mood.
- If this is not possible you can also use an artificial sunlight lamp. These lamps can be found for less than $20 and are best used for 30 minutes after waking in the morning.
- Keep a healthy sleep schedule, with evidence to support having 1 hour or less of variation in sleep and wake time each day.
- If mood continues to worsen and the above coping strategies are ineffective professional help is available and can range from short term therapy to medication management.
Time Change for Young Children
Another group that has a hard time with the time change in both directions are young children. Parents of small children often dread these shifts, which upend nap and bedtime routines. With an understanding of how the time change affects sleep, and a bit of planning, parents can help ease the transition for their family.
For young children the fall time change can cause young children to crash before bedtime, and then wake up earlier than usual in the morning. “Falling back” is typically easier on teenagers, as puberty kicks in, they tend to start falling asleep later, as hormones shift a child's "circadian rhythm" or internal clock by an hour or two.
While time changes can cause some drowsy days, kids usually adjust within about a week. If your child continues to have problems sleeping, talk with your pediatrician.
Experts say parents should help their children prepare for the time change gradually:
- For younger children, start nudging naps and bedtime in the direction the clocks will be changing a few minutes each day. Ideally, start this process about a week before the time change.
- Encourage older kids to start winding down a bit earlier each night, too, especially for the spring time change. Try to plan on dinner earlier, since eating too close to bedtime can cause indigestion and make it hard to sleep.
Parents should encourage healthy sleep habits year round including:
- Limiting screen time before bed. Blue light from phones, computers, tablets, TV and even nightlights can trick the brain into thinking that it's daytime. Have your child put all screens away at least an hour before bedtime and charge them outside their bedroom. This way, they won't be tempted to check text messages or social media posts.
- Having set nighttime routines. This lets your child's body know that it's time to unwind and go to sleep. For younger kids, having a brush, book bed routine, cuddling, or listening to quiet music.
- Getting enough exercise during the day can help kids sleep better, too. Just avoid too much physical activity close to bedtime, which can make it hard to unwind. Choose quiet activities like stretching or yoga later in the day.
- Spending some time outside and being exposed to natural light during the day can help reset your child's internal clock after a time change. Sunlight has a strong effect on the body's circadian rhythm.
- Relaxing activities in the evenings help support a healthy sleep cycle. Examples include a warm bath with Epsom salts, reading a book that's not on a screen, meditation, soft music or writing in a journal.
- Using soothing scents like lavender are also shown to help people fall asleep faster. Some parents also find that melatonin supplements help to reset their child's circadian rhythm back so they can fall asleep at a normal time. Melatonin should be given in very small doses of 0.3 to 0.5 mg about 2 hours before bedtime, and used only for a short amount of time. Be sure to talk to your pediatrician before giving your child melatonin.
Hackensack Meridian adult and pediatric sleep physicians are available for interviews regarding the time change, and any stories about daylight saving time health concerns.
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