We gained an hour yesterday. But is that really a good thing? Here are four ways the whole Daylight Savings system messes with our health:
1. It screws with our sleep patterns. Even gaining an hour can mess with your routine. But it’s definitely worse in the spring when we lose an hour. One study found some people NEVER really adjust all year. And the boost in stress hormones from chronic sleep deprivation can cause inflammation and raise your blood pressure.
2. It causes more heart attacks in the spring. Several studies have found people suffer more heart attacks the morning after we spring forward in March. But it’s mainly people with existing conditions, like serious heart disease.
3. Messing with your internal clock can cause of bunch of other issues too. It’s been linked to higher rates of obesity, depression, and diabetes. And yes, even being thrown off by one hour has an effect.
4. It causes more car crashes. Especially in the spring. Another new study this year found a brief spike in accidents right after the clocks shifted forward in March.
It’s still not clear if there’s a similar effect when we fall back. But losing an hour OR gaining an hour can throw you off and make you less alert.
(AP)