Losing an hour of sleep to daylight saving time is not good for you: Here’s how to cope better
When it comes to health, daylight saving time, frankly, sucks. It’s not just that we lose an hour of sleep (which is, in itself, harmful), it’s that every day spent in daylight saving time takes a toll on our body, says Emily Manoogian, a senior staff scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, who studies the body’s biological clocks.
“The whole time we’re on daylight saving time, we’re misaligning our environment with our bodies,” Manoogian says. “It’s not the one-hour shift that makes everyone feel bad. It’s this chronic disruption that makes us worse versions of ourselves.”
Experts—including Manoogian—typically recommend trying to shift your daily schedule before the clocks change to align with daylight saving time, perhaps by eating a half hour earlier or going to bed 15 minutes before your usual time. But that’s just not possible for some, and others might forget about the forthcoming clock change.
“I think the premise is that this is a short burst – a one-hour change in one direction or the other,” she said. “The way we live and work has changed a lot over the last decade.”
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated shifts toward remote work and more flexible hours, potentially making it easier for people to adjust to the time change, she added.
Rymer said improving awareness of sleep health is an ongoing focus for researchers and clinicians.
“As clinicians, we’re not always good about talking to our patients about sleep hygiene and sleep health,” she said. “Understanding the risks of poor sleep and conditions like sleep apnea is really important for preventing heart attack and stroke.”
