Effects Of Daylight Saving Time Felt For Weeks After Time change

Sunday morning is going to come extra early with the start of daylight saving time and studies show there are more car accidents, heart attacks and stroke in the days after the start of DST. 

Dr. Michael Summers with UNMC's Sleep Disorders Center says it can really mess with a person's inner time clock.  "There's more stressers that are occurring as a result of that chronic sleep deprivation that's occurring in that loss of sleep."

Summers suggests weaning yourself into the new schedule to make the adjustment a bit easier. "On Friday night you would go to bed 20 minutes earlier then you normally would and then the next night, it's 40 minutes earlier and then the next night, the time has changed and you're already kind of there."

It won't be an easy transition for some people, Summers says, as affects can be felt long after the time change. "It can linger for up to one to two weeks after the change. It's especially difficult for those night owl type people where they want to go to bed later and wake up later." 

Some people will have problems concentrating, memory loss and feel very sleepy as their body clock adjusts. Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed Saturday night.


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