Daylight saving time in the US started as an energy conservation trick during World War I and became a national standard in the 1960s But many now feel it has outlived its usefulness For one the presumed electricity savings of taking advantage of more daylight in the evening turn out to be unclear or nonexistent
One hour of lost sleep sounds like a small change but we humans are fragile sensitive animals Small disruptions in our sleep have been shown to alter basic indicators of our health and dull our mental edge Researchers have also found evidence of serious public health consequences when hundreds of millions of Americans are robbed of sleep every year
Theres some evidence that finds springing forward increases the number of traffic accidents
In 1999 researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Stanford wanted to find out what happens on the road when millions of drivers have their sleep disrupted
Analyzing 21 years of fatal car crash data from the US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration they found a very small but significant increase of road deaths on the Monday after the clock shift in the spring The number of deadly accidents jumped to an average of 835 on the spring forward Monday compared with an average of 782 on a typical Monday
We didnt expect to see anything actually Richard P Allen a Johns Hopkins neurologist who oversaw the study told me in 2015 To me it was really amazing that one hour made that difference
The paper did not find evidence of increased crashes on the Sunday daylight saving time begins presumably because people can sleep in that day But they say they think people are still sleep deprived on Monday because theyre still adjusting to the shift in time as they would for jet lag
Allens findings joined a few smaller studies on the phenomenon In 2006 researchers in Canada found the spring clock change resulted in an average increase in traffic accidents not deaths of approximately 8 percent Heres the chart they published in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine
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Its Allens view that his findings show there are many Americans who are on the margin of poor sleep The daylight saving time change pushes them over the edge and creates a body wide stress
And it seems its not just car accidents Since Allens study evidence has mounted of an increase in incidences of workplace injuries and heart attacks in the days after we spring forward
Should all driving on Monday be discouraged
The take home lesson here isnt that driving on the Monday after the spring forward clock change is incredibly dangerous A 2016 study in American Economic Journal Applied Economics found that daylight saving time may cause around 30 road deaths a year which is pretty tiny all things considered There are around 30000 traffic deaths in the US each year
The takeaway is that even small decreases in our sleep times can stress our bodies And good sleep increasingly is seen as a subtle yet critical component of our health Scientists now think poor sleep may play a role in the development of heart disease diabetes and obesity
To prepare for a rough Monday after the clock change its a good idea to get enough sleep in the days leading up to it Allen stresses that a one hour sleep disruption will be more severe for someone who is already sleep deprived
A lot of these accidents occur because we dont have residual sleep reserves to survive that insult he says When were running nearly empty on our sleep wake status it doesnt take much to push it into a negative area
How to Survive the Hour Loss
You might be worried about losing that hour if you cant sleep in or wondering how the time shift will impact your restfulness during the night
There are some simple ways to make sure your sleep routine isnt disrupted Check out these five tips for adjusting to daylight saving time and rest easy
Go to sleep and wake at the same time every day and avoid spending more time in bed than needed
Use bright light to help manage your body clock Avoid bright light in the evening and expose yourself to sunlight in the morning
Use your bedroom only for sleep to strengthen the association between your bed and sleep It may help to remove work materials computers and televisions from your bedroom
Select a relaxing bedtime ritual like a warm bath or listening to calming music
Create a sleep environment that is quiet dark and cool with a comfortable mattress and pillows
Save your worries for the daytime If concerns come to mind write them in a worry book so you can address those issues the next day
If you cant sleep go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired
Exercise regularly at any time of the day that feels right for you
If you are experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness snoring or stop breathing episodes in your sleep contact Alaska Sleep Clinic for a sleep apnea screening
