At 2 a.m. Sunday, clocks will spring ahead by an hour for daylight savings time.
Scientists with expertise in circadian rhythms at Oregon Health & Science University caution that the annual ritual raises health and performance issues for students and workers — and it’s worth taking steps ahead of time to reduce the risks.
“We’re getting hit from two different fronts,” said Andrew McHill, Ph.D., assistant professor in the OHSU School of Nursing, the OHSU School of Medicine and the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at OHSU.
“First, we’re artificially shifting our clock so that we effectively lose an hour of sleep,” he said. “Second, we’re waking up an hour earlier than our internal body clock’s circadian time. That means we’re groggier while driving in the morning, we’re at heightened risk for a cardiovascular event, and it can lead to some detriments in performance at school or at work.”
Plan ahead for the change
Saurabh Thosar, Ph.D., associate professor in the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at OHSU and sleep researcher who is studying how circadian rhythms affect cardiovascular health, noted that most heart attacks occur in the morning within three or four hours of people waking up.
“It’s definitely worthwhile to pay attention to our internal body clock, and take steps to minimize the impact of losing an hour of sleep in the morning,” he said.
Taking steps now will help to prepare for the sudden loss of an hour of sleep over the weekend, the researchers said.
- Shift ahead of time. McHill said now is the time to begin shifting internal clocks to go to sleep and wake up a little earlier, so that it’s not such a dramatic shift when the alarm clangs for work or school on Monday morning.
- Adjust diet: McHill co-authored a study published last year that compared people eating high-fat and low-fat diets, and found that those eating a low-fat diet were better able to adapt to the time change.
- Give yourself grace: The body will adjust over the next week or so, but McHill said it’s important to recognize that it will take time to adjust. “Recognize that on Monday morning, things are going to be a little harder,” he said. “Just know that you may be running a little slower than normal and take some time to ease into the new schedule.”
‘Standard time is better’
As policymakers continue to discuss the idea of making daylight or standard time permanent, McHill said evidence clearly shows that standard time is the preferable option — a position broadly supported by sleep scientists nationwide.
“From a health physiology standpoint, standard time is better,” McHill said. “People really like daylight savings time because you get out of work and it’s still sunny, but it extends the amount of light we’re getting at night and makes it harder to wake up in the morning. This comes at a cost to people’s health.”