How could daylight saving impact you?
Oct 30, 2024, 5:12 PM | Updated: Oct 31, 2024, 9:43 am
Reminder to set your clocks back, daylight saving comes to an end this weekend and with the change our health can take a big hit. (Canva)
(Canva)
SALT LAKE CITY — Here’s a reminder to set your clocks back, as daylight saving comes to an end this weekend.
It may feel like we are getting an extra hour, but our days are actually about to get a lot shorter. Between the time change and less sunlight, our bodies can take a big toll.
How our are bodies impacted?
The extra hour of sleep may seem nice, but it can actually become very negative for our physical and mental health.
Our brains have an internal clock called the circadian rhythm. Our internal clock is what helps our body know to be awake during daylight hours.
According to sleepfoundation.org, it also helps regulate many other parts of your body like metabolism, brain function, and immune system.
Your circadian rhythm is affected by sun exposure. The 24-hour day, sleeping when its dark and waking up when its light, is what it lives by. So, changing up your schedule twice a year throws it out of sync. It also throws all the other systems it regulates out of sync too.
There’s also seasonal depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), to consider.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, less sunlight and shorter days are linked to a chemical change in the brain, causing SAD.
What can we do?
There are a few things you can try to help your circadian rhythm adjust to the change. In the days leading up to daylight saving, you may try changing your bedtime to give yourself time to adjust.
Sleepfoundation.org suggests creating a bedtime routine, using just one to three relaxing activities. This helps signal your body that it is time to sleep.
As for seasonal depression, it never hurts to get a little extra sunlight during the day.
Investing in a light box can also be beneficial. The Mayo Clinic says that light boxes are designed to deliver a therapeutic dose of bright light to treat symptoms of SAD, but for some, it may be more effective when combined with other treatments.
What is being done?
One can’t simply change the rules about Daylight Savings. The Sunshine Protection Act is a bipartisan bill that would make daylight saving permanent, but it is stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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