If you’re one of the millions of Americans who hates the time changes of daylight savings, it probably will not surprise you to hear the conclusion of a recent study on the effects of daylight savings on the body.
Not only is the practice of changing clocks each fall and spring annoying and disruptive, it’s also unhealthy to unnaturally change our sleep schedules and daily routine so abruptly each year. And not only that, it could actually be increasing energy costs, rather than saving them, which is one of the few reasons daylight savings is done, year after year.
A recent trend in medical research, financial studies, and legislative measures have all concluded that not only do people dislike daylight savings, but it’s not practical or effective.
One study done by the medical department at Cornell University last year found that losing an hour of sleep in the spring is generally bad for health, and hard data shows that car accidents, stroke, and heart attacks spike right after the time change.
Another study was done by the JP Morgan Chase Institute, and compared spending between consumers in Arizona, a state that does not do daylight savings, and other states. It found that there was no discernable difference in market boosts, which contradicts the conclusions of one of the last remaining groups of supporters for daylight savings. This group is mostly comprised of businesses interest advocates who theorize that daylight savings increase spending, but the JP Morgan study showed that there was no change.
Also, while it has always been expected that daylight savings reduces energy costs, states like Indiana, who switched to daylight savings in 2006, showed that customers actually spend more, not less money on electricity when the time change was implemented.
As you lose an hour of sleep this weekend, make sure you’re trying to take care of yourself, to avoid being one of those post-time change statistics. If you can, plan to get an extra hour of sleep in the morning, or the following night, and drink plenty of water, make sure to get exercise, and take it slow if you’re feeling drained and tired. It really is tough getting adjusted, so give yourself time, and don’t neglect your health.
Hopefully one of the proposals from 19 different states to do away with daylight savings is in your state, and you won’t have to put up with it much longer!