SPRINGING FORWARD
Our circadian rhythm does not cope well with change but, unfortunately, this is unavoidable when spring arrives and it stays lighter longer.
‘We can struggle to feel sleepy when it’s time for bed, and not feel awake enough to get up when it’s morning,’ says Dr Lindsay Browning at Trouble Sleeping. And this feeling can last for weeks – or even months. ‘We may feel sluggish when we wake because our circadian rhythm thinks we should still be sleeping, and we may feel too alert in the evening to go to bed on time.’
This is perhaps the most obvious side effect we might notice, but there are a variety of other, more serious health consequences.
SIGNS OF INCREASED
✢ IRRITABILITY
You may feel frustrated more easily and vulnerable to stress, as losing just one hour of sleep can have a big impact on your mood. This was shown in a study by the University of Pennsylvania, where people who were limited to only 4.5 hours of sleep a night for one week reported feeling more stressed, angry, sad and mentally exhausted.
✢ WEIGHT GAIN
Sleep deficiency can increase your appetite because of the rise of ghrelin – the hunger hormone – and the decrease of leptin, the hormone that registers fullness. So, not only will your usual eating cues be out of sync, but with those light evenings keeping you awake for longer, you might be more likely to snack or have heavy meals before hitting the hay. And we’re less likely to be making healthy food choices when tired, says research**.
✢ POOR MENTAL HEALTH
The loss of sleep and the shift of light can cause a dip in mood and even increase the risk of depressive symptoms. A 17-year Danish study found that patients being diagnosed with depression rose by 11% over the first 10 weeks of Daylight Saving Time (DST). This is believed to be due to the mornings being darker for a short while, which can increase symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
✢ PHYSICAL HEALTH SCARES
Disrupting our body’s internal block can lead to heart attacks and stroke, says US research. On the first Monday after the clocks go forward, hospitals report a 24%*** spike in heart attack visits each year, while a study published in Sleep Medicine showed stroke rates increasing by 8% in two days following both clock changes.
✢ ACCIDENTS
Driving to work at the crack of dawn? You might want to make a large coffee-to-go, says Russell. When you’re sleep deprived, your reaction times become slower and you can struggle to focus. In fact, a study from the University of Colorado Boulder found that there was a 6% increase in road traffic accidents in the work week following the start of DST.