Daylight Saving Time's health impacts and what you can do to avoid feeling sick, tired, or worse
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Spring forward, fall back, Daylight Saving Time returns this weekend and that means we all lose an hour of sleep.
An hour of sleep may not seem like a big deal but it does have some serious health impacts.
When we move the clocks forward an hour...good luck with the kids.
"It's going to be tough to get them up," said Allegheny Health Network Sleep Specialist Dr. Daniel Shade. "Now the clock is saying it's 8:00, but it's their clock. Their internal clock is saying no, it's seven in there, already difficult to get up."
Dr. Shade is no fan of Daylight Saving Time because our bodily systems are aligned with Standard Time when the sun peaks at noon and he sees the one-hour impact in his patients.
"You can feel basic malaise, meaning you just don't feel right - you can be achy, you definitely can feel tired because you're not getting you're losing an hour of sleep," he explained.
He said that the impact can be serious with things like depression and anxiety as well as heart issues. He said that there is an increase in heart attacks the Monday after the clocks forward by about 25%.
He also explained that crashes increase immediately after the time change and it doesn't resolve quickly.
"It can take up to five days but after a couple of days people feel a little bit better," Dr. Shade said.
The remedy is simple - sunlight.
"Getting outside is good for you anyway, it's healthy and I think that that helps you align the clocks faster as well," he said.
Dr. Shade suggested you start adjusting your sleep hours now. Just a bit earlier for the next couple of days or so that was Sunday morning is less of a shock to the system.
"Some patients who have real sleep disorders and real circadian rhythm disorders will try to use melatonin at night and bright light therapy during the day," Dr. Shade said.
He added that most people will get over the drowsiness in just a couple of days, while others will take longer. The key is focusing on getting 7-9 hours of sleep in the days before and immediately after the clock changes on Sunday morning.
While it can be tough for some, Dr. Shade said some patients describe the aches and pains as if they have the flu, but sunlight or bright lights will help.