Time to Change

Tonight we move our clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Savings Time.  I like Daylight Savings Time, but I abhor that we have to switch time.  Why can't we stay on summer time all year round?  As it stands now we are on Standard Time for only four months.  The gradual creep to shorten Standard Time is an indication that legislators are seeing its decreasing value.

There are certainly problems that arise from switching time.  This spring time change is particularly problematic.  Chronobiologist Till Roenneberg at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, indicates his studies show our circadian body clocks, that are set by darkness and light are disrupted by time change.  Roenneberg says, “The consequence of that is that the majority of the population has drastically decreased productivity, decreased quality of life, increasing susceptibility to illness, and is just plain tired.”  While a Swedish study in New England Journal of Medicine in 2008 found heart attack risks increase 6% to 10 % in the days right after the Daylight Saving Time change. The lead author Imre Janszk said, “The most likely explanation to our findings are disturbed sleep and disruption of biological rhythms.”

There are also safety concerns, with the journal Sleep Medicine reporting the number of traffic accidents in the U.S. spikes on the Monday after the clocks move forward.  Canadian researchers have pegged the increase here at 8%, according to a 1996 study.  While in Sweden, it jumps by 11%.  Although I didn't come across any studies, there are also indications that work related injuries increase following the spring time change.

Because we do have to make the time change this year, there are some things that can help us adapt.  First is to avoid evening light during those first longer days to help your body clock adjust.  Secondly take some melatonin, a hormone our bodies naturally produce at night, to help activate your body clock. Thirdly, keep as much of a regular schedule as possible, including meal times.  Fourthly, minimize caffeine consumption during the day and avoid exercise in the evening.  Give yourself at least an hour to "wind down" before bed.

As I change my clocks tonight I'll be reflecting on the waste of time it is for billions of people to be doing this.  I think we should be communicating to our legislators that staying on Daylight Savings Time year round makes sense.  We could have the energy saving and recreation benefits, that are always quoted, while avoiding the health and safety issues.