How daylight saving time could negatively impact on your mental health
Daylight saving time, or DST, is upon us once again.
Except for those in Arizona and Hawaii, we’ll “spring forward” on March 9 by moving our clocks ahead by one hour.
“That one-hour change may not seem like much, but it can wreak havoc on people’s mental and physical well-being in the short term,” says Dr. Charles Czeisler, professor at Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine.
Trouble sleeping can make people feel worn out, groggy and less alert. A study by the University of Colorado Boulder found car accidents rose 6% after the springtime change.
Shifting your circadian rhythms
Daylight saving time may worsen conditions like anxiety, depression, and seasonal affective disorder since it may cause us to sleep less.
According to experts, springing forward is the most disruptive of the two time changes we encounter. Our circadian rhythms, which are the body’s natural 24-hour cycles that control vital functions like eating, mood, and sleep, could be impacted by the one-hour shift.
Exposure to light plays a key part in circadian rhythms, which can be thrown off by darker mornings and lighter evenings created by the time change.
With less morning light, your body may produce lower amounts of the hormone serotonin, which elevates our moods. Conversely, evenings with more light may delay your body’s production of the hormone melatonin, which promotes sleep.
Is spring bringing you down?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs with the changing of the seasons. The transition from winter to spring can set off mental health problems for many people. About 10% of people with SAD have the condition in the spring and summer months.
The effects of changing time on the brain
You may even experience sleep deprivation in the first few days of the time change because of going to bed later or waking up earlier than usual. According to a study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, people sleep 40 minutes less on Mondays after DST starts than they do on other nights of the year.
Ways to help your body adapt to a time change
Though some cases of seasonal affective disorder and depression may require therapy and medication, milder cases may be remedied with natural alternatives:
◾Improve your sleep habits. You can change your sleep schedule over a few days in increments of 15 or 30 minutes to gradually adopt a new routine. A consistent pattern can help make your bedtime easier to adjust.
◾Enjoy sunny days. Take a brisk walk or sit in a park. Get outside to soak up the sunshine. That will help adjust your internal clock.
◾Follow a healthy diet. Don’t overindulge in caffeine or alcohol. Both can affect your sleep habits.
◾Keep moving. Exercise, even in small amounts, will help you feel better and more energized. If you’re limited to indoor activities, try walking up and down stairs, doing simple yoga moves, or even dancing to your favorite music.
CONTRIBUTING Jim Sergent/USA TODAY and USA TODAY NETWORK
SOURCE Sleep Foundation, Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, Northwestern Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, The Mayo Clinic and USA TODAY research
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