Spring, Sunshine, and Death - The Dark Truth Behind Daylight Saving Time
“That’s how fragile and susceptible your body is to even just one hour of lost sleep.”
Key Takeaways
Daylight saving time may appear to be an innocent, sunny, slight tweak of the clock, but it is more deadly than you would ever expect.
The Monday after the springtime setback, there is a 24% INCREASE in HEART ATTACKS!
Daylight saving time also results in:
More auto accidents (+deaths)
More suicide
Higher rates of work-related injuries
Increased stroke risk
If just one night of shortened sleep has such a profound effect, imagine the lethality and productivity loss of chronic sleep deprivation when extrapolated over weeks, months, and years.
Daylight saving serves as a stark reminder that adequate sleep is an indispensable component of a long and healthy life.
Full Story
Daylight saving time is killing us. Sure, it may appear to be an innocent, sunny, slight tweak of the clock, but losing one hour of sleep is more deadly than you would ever expect.
It’s just one hour less of sleep, on one night, what’s the big deal, right? It turns out that for an already sleep-deprived nation, this slight change has significant negative health effects. For many Americans, sleep loss as a result of daylight saving time even costs them their lives.
Don’t Have A Heart Attack
Which of the following should you be most afraid of?
A. A Shiver of Man-Eating Sharks
B. A Cluster of Poisonous Spiders
C. Cardiovascular Disease
D. A Posse of Evil Clowns
If you chose the sharks, spiders, or clowns, I wouldn’t blame you! Nevertheless, selecting any answer besides “C” is an illogical choice. Your odds of running into Jaws or Pennywise is slim to none, while cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S, and it’s not even a close race.
Common risk factors of cardiovascular disease include hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, and smoking. One less common decision that increases your risk of suffering a heart attack becomes clear once a year, every year on the day after we turn the clocks forward for daylight saving time - poor quality sleep.
Today, the Monday after the springtime setback, there is a 24% INCREASE in HEART ATTACKS (1)! Correlation doesn’t equal causation, we know that. BUT, this next tidbit puts the nail in the daylight saving coffin - in autumn, after we “gain” an hour of sleep, we see a 21% DECREASE in heart attacks. Pretty heartbreaking.
You’re Young and Healthy, Why Should You Care?
I get it. You’re young, healthy, and your chance of suffering a heart attack is lower than apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur in a Flo Rida song. However, an increase in heart attacks isn’t the only trade off we make in exchange for more sunlight.
After daylight saving time, we also see:
More auto accidents + deaths (2)
More suicide (3)
Higher rates of work-related injuries (4)
Increased stroke risk (5)
This yearly, nationwide, sleep deprivation experiment is endlessly fascinating because it illustrates the life-saving power of a quality night of sleep. If just one night of shortened sleep has such a profound effect, imagine the lethality and loss of productivity of chronic sleep deprivation when extrapolated over weeks, months, and years.
Hold Onto Your Clock Hands
I’ve laid out the facts. Now, it’s up to you. Fight the power, resist the government, and hold onto tightly to your clock hands! Your life depends on it.
Just kidding. Although many states are actually taking action to do away with daylight savings time altogether, that’s not the point of this post (6). Rather, the shocking truth and statistics behind daylight saving time make it clear that sleep is a non-negotiable aspect of health and wellness.
My message is clear, non-partisan, and powerful - prioritize your sleep! By consistently getting high-quality sleep, you will improve nearly every facet of your life. As a quick reminder, quality sleep results in:
That last bullet is worth repeating. Less death. The loss of life from daylight saving time, though tragic, clearly illustrates the fact that quality sleep prolongs your life.
Wrap Up
It’s truly unfortunate that lives are lost every year when we set the clocks forward, and the cons of this tradition may very well outweigh the pros. That being said, it serves as a stark reminder that adequate sleep is an indispensable component of a long and healthy life.
If you can, take it easy these next few days:
Slow down - Many people, myself included, rush around all day long. Take some deep belly breaths with long exhales and take time to smell the flowers.
Take time to de-stress - Practice some mindful breathing, watch your favorite mindless Netflix flick, or settle down with a good book.
Fuel your body - Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, protein, etc. and stay hydrated.
Most importantly, prioritize sleep - Get to bed early, set the alarm for later, take a quick nap, and make sure your sleep is a high quality as possible by:
Reducing exposure to bright, blue light before bed (laptops, phones, T.V.) or wear blue light blocking glasses
Exposing yourself to sunlight early in the day
Relaxing before bed
Creating a cold, dark, quiet sleeping environment
Avoiding large meals or alcohol before bed
Sleep may not be the most exciting activity, I know. It’s a lot more fun to stay up late working, playing on our phones, or binge-watching 8 episodes of Parks and Rec. But remember, it’s difficult to enjoy life if you’re dead. Please, don’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep.
