Gaining or losing an hour will likely affect sleep patterns, often for about five to seven days.<\/b>
\nDaylight Saving Time ends and clocks will \u201cfall back\u201d an hour this weekend, giving Americans the feeling of an extra hour in the morning, which could negatively affect their health.
\u201cEver since the institution of Daylight Saving Time, there has been controversy regarding whether it accomplishes its goals or not, and if so \u2014 at what cost,\u201d Timothy Morgenthaler, Mayo Clinic\u2019s co-director of the Center for Sleep Medicine, said in an email.
Morgenthaler has reviewed about 100 medical papers related to how the time change could affect health.
Here\u2019s what you should know:
Gaining or losing an hour will likely affect sleep patterns, often for about five to seven days, Morgenthaler said. The most notable changes are in those who regularly do not get enough sleep. People who are sleep-deprived might struggle with memory, learning, social interactions and overall cognitive performance.
\u201cPeople have more changes in how sleepy they feel or how it affects the quality of their sleep when we \u2018spring forward\u2019 than when we \u2018fall back,’\u201d Morgenthaler said.
According to a study led by a University of Colorado fellow in 2014, when Americans lose one hour of sleep in the spring, the risk of heart attack increases 25 percent. When the clock gives back that hour of sleep the risk of heart attack decreases by 21 percent. (The limited study looked at hospital admission data in Michigan over a four-year period.)
A preliminary study presented at the 2016 American Academy of Neurology meeting suggested turning the clock ahead or behind an hour could increase risk of stroke. That\u2019s because disrupting a person\u2019s internal body clock might increase the risk of ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, according to researchers. The data showed risk of ischemic stroke was 8 percent higher two days after a Daylight Saving Time.
These studies are two of several on these negative health effects, and they don\u2019t always paint the whole picture, Morgenthaler said.
\u201cOf several published between 2010 and 2014, three studies showed that DST increases the risk of acute myocardial infarctions (AMIs), however, two others demonstrated that the timing (but not the incidence) of strokes and AMIs may be influenced by DST,\u201d Morgenthaler points out.
Many have also studied the time change\u2019s impact on vehicle crashes and fatalities. The largest studies that correct for volume and driving activity as well as time of day \u201cshow no significant effect\u201d on Daylight Saving Time changes, Morgenthaler said. Still, he cautions to remain aware while driving or walking near a road, especially early in the morning or late at night, after the change.
Read more from USA Today.<\/p>\n

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