Daylight Saving Time Has Long-Term Impact On The Brain Study Warns

(Study Finds) John Anderer November 6 2019 NASHVILLE Tenn.  Daylight saving time is typically considered nothing more than an annoyance or simple fact of life as we spring forward" and fall back" each year. But are these bi-annual adjustments to our internal clocks actually having a larger effect on our bodies than we realize? According to a new research piece conducted at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville Tennessee the answer to that question is yes. Over the course of our lives daylight saving time greatly reduces the amount of bright morning light we experience. While this may sound trivial morning light is essential for the synchronization of our biological clocks and not getting enough is associated with increased risk of heart attack and ischemic stroke. In fact researchers say these disruptions can literally change the structure of the core genes within our circadian clocks. Additionally lack of bright morning light has been linked to partial sleep deprivation. During each and every daylight saving time switch the average adults sleep duration shrinks by about 15-20 minutes. The studys authors say this also increases the likelihood of any number of fatal accidents. People think the one-hour transition is no big deal that they can get over this in a day but what they dont realize is their biological clock is out of sync" says Dr. Beth Ann Malow professor of Neurology and Pediatrics in the Sleep Disorders Division at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in a release.