Daylight Saving Time may be bad for your health

The Mexican congress has decided that, from this October, it will stop changing clock times in Spring and Autumn.

In many countries the concept of ‘daylight saving time’ has been around for decades. In the UK, this practice, known as British Summer Time, was introduced in 1916 to save energy and help the war effect (World War 1). According to historical records, the practice became popular, among who I don’t know, and so it continued. The practice is that every Spring and Autumn the clocks are either put back one hour or put forward by one hour.

I remember when we used to do it England, I always forgot which way the clocks were supposed to go, come that time of year, and I remember my father reminding me of the phrase, ‘spring forward, fall back’, fall being the American equivalent of the British Autumn.

I never understood how fiddling with our clocks helped us even though in the first few days of the clocks going back or forward by one hour we were either afforded an extra hour of sleep in the morning in the winter or we had to get up earlier by one hour in the summer. It was very disorientating even though, by putting the clocks forward by one hour in the autumn, it did make the winters brighter first thing in the morning. I don’t know, perhaps it was just the notion of going out into the crisp autumn air and the chill on one’s skin that was disorientating. When daylight savings time was initiated, for the first few days it felt like breakfast was at a weird time and so was lunch and dinner. Plus you’re either sleeping earlier than normal or later than normal, at least in the first few days until your body adjusts.

But many experts believe that this messing with the clocks twice a year practice is neither healthy for the human body nor safe for drivers, and it doesn’t help the workplace either.

Research has shown that changing clock timings not only messes with the day but with the human body’s circadian rhythm and a person’s state of mind. Moreover, it is very dangerous for drivers who are often drowsy from having to get up earlier because they’re experiencing symptoms similar to jet lag. Furthermore, because they’re sleep deprived, drivers may be ratty on the road and, let’s face it, ratty drivers can be risky drivers just as drowsy drivers can sometimes be as dangerous as drunk drivers; accidents apparently increase an hour or two into the day in the first few days.

In terms of health, emergency rooms see a spike in hospital admissions in the first few days when the clocks have been changed. These are not only from accidents caused by sleep deprived and irritated drivers but there is also an increased incidence of strokes and heart attacks. People also suffer from cluster headaches, depression and weight gain, the latter most likely being in the winter months when people start to eat more to compensate for their bodies feeling off.

When the clocks are changed, people’s mentality is also affected. Aside from being disorientated and cross in the first few days, in general, people’s state of mind has been rattled. Some experts believe that holding important meetings and events on the first few days after the clocks have been changed is not a good idea. Since everyone’s state of mind is reeling from the time change in the first few days, they most likely won’t ‘be themselves’. They may be sleep deprived and, therefore, irritated and disorientated, and that’s when bad decisions are mostly to be made.

Even the law isn’t immune from the adverse effects of daylight saving time. Some experts have found that having a court case heard in the first few days of the clocks changing isn’t great for the case. Judges are also sleep deprived and vexed and may, therefore, make snap decisions on cases.

But advocates of daylight savings time suggest that the feeling from the change lasts only a few days so how can its effects be that bad? But the number of adverse effects in those few days far outweighs those of the rest of the year when people have adjusted. Maybe that’s why Mexico has finally dropped it. Let’s hope Britain and America do too. After all, the reasons for its introduction no longer apply.