Sleep specialist shares tips to ease the 'spring forward' time change
Daylight Saving Time comes with health risks
Millions of Georgians will "Spring Forward," setting their clocks an hour ahead. But researchers have found that losing an hour of sleep can increase the risk for health issues, like heart attacks or sleep-related car accidents. The FOX Medical Team has more.
ATLANTA - As we get ready to spring forward on Sunday, Dr. Hitendra Patel, medical director of the Sleep Program at Wellstar Health System, says brace yourself, because suddenly losing an hour of sleep can be risky.
"Heart attacks increase, literally, in the day after the time change, and also the risk of car accidents as well," Dr. Patel says. "So, people's health is at risk. Primarily, it is sleepiness, really."
Patel says there is even a move in Congress to switch to permanent daylight-saving time.
"That is not the right move," he says. "That's an artificial clock change. Our natural clock time is what we have in the wintertime and spring. That's the natural stuff. That's how we get up in the morning with the sun, and we go to bed when the sun goes down."
How to prepare for daylight saving time
Dr. Patel says the American Association of Sleep Medicine says we should get away from artificially manipulating the clock, and let the sun dictate our sleep/wake cycle.
Other sleep experts maintain that sticking with standard time is a better option.
But to get you ready to spring forward, Patel says, start going to bed 15 minutes early each night, to gradually adjust to the time change.
"Stay active, maintain a regular exercise pattern or routine," Patel adds. "Try to avoid exercise late at night. Because especially if a person is having difficulty sleeping, exercise earlier in the day."
And Dr. Patel says cut back on excessive drinking.
"Alcohol in general destroys sleep, especially if you drink it closer to bedtime," he says. "You really decimate your sleep quality."
If you want a drink, he says, have it earlier in the evening.
When you get up, Patel says, go outside.
"Every day, when you wake up, make sure you get out into the bright sunlight for 20 to 30 minutes," he says. "Morning sun is critical to our biological clock, from the sleep-wake perspective."
And then, when it is time to sleep, and you need to wind down, turn down the lights.
"Avoid bright light exposure, gadgets, screens," Patel says. "Limit screen time. Wind-down time, that's the thing I would recommend."
What is daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time is an annual practice in which clocks are set forward by one hour during the warmer months to extend evening daylight. The concept, widely adopted across many countries, has both advocates and critics, each citing various benefits and drawbacks.
The idea of daylight saving was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, but it wasn't implemented until World War I, when countries like Germany and the United Kingdom adopted it to conserve energy. The practice aimed to reduce the use of artificial lighting to save fuel for the war effort. The United States began observing daylight saving time in 1918.
Proponents of daylight saving time argue that it offers several benefits, including energy savings, reduced crime rates, and improved public health. The extra hour of daylight in the evenings is believed to encourage outdoor activities, thereby promoting physical fitness and well-being. Additionally, it is thought to benefit the economy, as people tend to go out and spend more in the daylight.