The annual transition to and from daylight saving time (DST) has clinical implications that last longer than the days where clocks “fall back” or “spring forward.”
The annual transition to and from daylight saving time (DST) has clinical implications that last longer than the days where clocks “fall back” or “spring forward.”
Changes in sleep patterns that stem from clock transitions can alter the epigenetics of the core genes in the circadian clock. Over time, DST eliminates bright morning light that critically synchronizes biologic clocks. Transition seasons are associated with increased risk of heart attack and ischemic stroke, as well as other negative effects of partial sleep deprivation. Average sleep duration shrinks by 15 to 20 minutes for adults during DST transitions, which may increase the risk of fatal accidents.
To raise awareness of the health impacts from clock transitions — which change when the body gets light — sleep experts from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) published a JAMA Neurology commentary in which they recap large epidemiological studies to advocate for ending the practice.
People think the one-hour transition is no big deal, that they can get over this in a day but what they don’t realize is their biological clock is out of sync, said Beth Ann Malow, MD, Burry Chair in Cognitive Childhood Development, and professor of Neurology and Pediatrics in the Sleep Disorders Division at VUMC.
Read more at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
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