Daylight savings time, which this year falls on March 27 (Sunday as usual), at 3am. This means that at the specified time it will be necessary to set the clock forward 1 hour, and people living in countries where the clock change takes place will sleep one hour less. Will such a change affect the state of health and well-being? Biorhythmologists believe that any violation of the usual biorhythms to a certain extent affects the functioning of the body and the well-being of a person. Is it possible to help the body adapt to the upcoming transition to daylight saving time?
Daylight Savings Time: What problems can occur with clock changes?
There is evidence that changing the clock (namely during the transition to daylight saving time) is fraught with:
- Decrease in concentration and attentiveness
Disturbances in the circadian rhythms and sleep patterns to which the body is adapted entail an inability to properly focus on the task at hand. Despite the fact that the results of studies aimed at determining the number of car accidents after clock changes are contradictory, experts advise taking extra care while driving.
- Increased risk of occupational injuries
Especial care must be taken by people whose work involves the risk of injury. A slight lack of sleep can lead to disastrous consequences. A 2009 study found that there was a 5.7% increase in the risk of work-related injuries for just 40 minutes of sleep deprivation.
- Increase in the number of heart attacks
Back in 2008, Swedish researchers found that within three weeks of daylight saving time, the number of heart attacks increased by about 5%. Experts attribute these disappointing statistics to disrupted sleep patterns, which result in increased production of stress hormones and the associated exacerbation of inflammatory processes. Therefore, people at risk need to carefully monitor their health and avoid stress.
- Decrease in the level of motivation
Of course, a lack of motivation in the workplace will not lead to health problems, but it is interesting that it is after the transition to daylight saving time that a temporary decrease in the working capacity and level of motivation of workers is observed.
- Increase in cluster headaches and exacerbation of diseases
The circadian rhythm plays an important role in controlling the production of hormones that affect mood, hunger and sleepiness. If these rhythms go astray (even for 1 hour), be sure that the body notices the difference.
In some people, the body reacts to these changes with cluster headaches that occur on one side of the head and can be so severe that they are almost unbearable.
Also, people whose body is weakened may experience exacerbations of diseases, so it will not be superfluous to prepare for such a situation.
What should I do to make the transition to daylight saving time smooth?
It is important to understand that not every person experiences a deterioration in well-being during the transition to daylight saving time. And periodic drowsiness, fatigue, decreased alertness and other problems that arise during the period of adaptation of the body to a new sleep-wake schedule (approximately 1-3 weeks) go away on their own.
To minimize the negative reaction of the body to a temporary hourly lack of sleep, try to gradually prepare it for a new wake-up schedule.
This is very easy to do – about a week before the clock change, it is recommended to go to bed a little earlier than usual (if you follow a strict sleep schedule, of course). For example: instead of 10:00 pm, go to bed at 9:40 pm for a couple of days, then – at 21:20, and before the clock change – at 21:00. So you will help the body to smoothly adapt to the upcoming change in the usual schedule.
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