Daylight Saving Time: The Hidden Dangers & How To Protect Your Health This Season

Daylight Saving Time – Here We Go Again

Rocking up to church on a Sunday to find no-one there (because you’re way too early), or everyone already milling around outside chatting (because you’re too late) was one of the biggest nuisances of Daylight Saving in the 80’s. This was a time before digital clocks and phones updated themselves and human error meant missing out.

In reality, missing the Sunday message or hearing what Aunty Maria had been up to last week, wasn’t actually the biggest nuisance.

Unbeknown to most, the biggest problem was the internal chaos going on inside our body, because someone thought that time travelling and doing a Back To The Future, by arbitrarily changing our clocks, was a good idea.

It’s not.

Sure, we may not feel that different. Perhaps a little tired or cranky for missing an hour of precious sleep. But don’t let that mislead you.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is in fact a big disruptor. Altering the amount of light we get in the morning and therefore, the level of darkness in the evening, plays havoc with our body and circadian rhythms, and beyond the first few painful days after changeover.

Bright sunny mornings and low light evenings are essential for promoting healthy sleep

Daylight Saving: It’s Just Not Natural

It’s a fact. Most countries do not partake in this daylight saving madness. Currently only around one third of the world still adopts this practice, which found its beginnings over one hundred years ago, based on some rather non-logical thinking. But more about that later.

Source: Wikipedia

Of the countries that did introduce Daylight Savings, most have since changed back and are continuing to do so. In the last decade alone, there have been at least another ten countries, including Mexico, Ukraine, Turkey, Uruguay and Russia, who have realised that interfering with Mother Nature’s clocks isn’t a good idea and have moved to abolish Daylight Savings.

For us in Australia, whilst Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania currently still have DST, our Northern and Western neighbours who have had DST, have done the wise thing and given it the flick. It also seems a little mad that during DST we go from having three separate time zones in Australia during Standard Time to having five different times. No wonder it gets confusing.

Source: Reddit

The Health impacts of Daylight Saving

It is well documented that daylight saving time has many health, social and economic drawbacks. It should therefore be no surprise that the scientific community remains largely united in opposition of it with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, the European Society for Sleep Research and even our own University of Queensland all believing that daylight saving and seasonal time changes should be abolished in favour of a fixed, national, year-round standard time. Here’s why.

Your circadian rhythm is the most important part of your health to protect.

This perfectly and finely tuned biological timing system, responds to the natural light and dark changes in your environment. It impacts the healthy functioning of every single cell, tissue, muscle, organ and system in your body, helping to control your sleep and wake cycles, your metabolism, immune, cardiovascular and endocrine systems, mood, and more.

Daylight saving time disrupts our internal balance, leading to mornings being darker and evenings being lighter – exactly the opposite to what Nature intended for us. This misalignment between your internal clock and social schedule is called “social jetlag”, and has some serious health repercussions. Here are a few:

• Inadequate sleep and sleep disorders
• Disruption to circadian rhythms and increase in all-cause mortality
• Increased risk of heart attacks and strokes
• Mood disorders including increased levels of anger, sadness and depression (lasting over from over week to a month)
• Increased cancer risk in areas where daylight saving is observed
• Increased risk of miscarriages and pregnancy loss during daylight saving changeover weeks
• Decreased cognitive function with poorer performance on tests and exams three weeks after the transition

So, with so many well documented negative health effects from inadequate sleep, decreased attention, increased metabolic and cardiovascular issues, mood disorders, and even a shortened lifespan you wonder, how on earth is it that daylight saving still exists?

Watch Out! Daylight Saving Accidents Up Ahead

Juggling health risks isn’t the only thing we need to watch out for. With daylight saving time comes other hazards and dangers we need to watch out for (eek!!).

Several studies have shown an increase in fatal traffic accident risk of up to 30 percent on the day of daylight saving time commencing! Think you’re safe at work? Think again. Workplace accidents also increase after the DST changeover, particularly on the Monday following the transition.

All this got you flustered and feeling unwell? You may want to steer clear of the doctors and hospitals for a couple of weeks. Studies have shown the number of medical errors increase by 19% in the week after daylight saving time.

It’s quite clear to see that daylight saving involves more than just changing the big hand on your clock. It is hard to argue that the extra hour at night to enjoy a social BBQ warrants all the downsides that come with this. So, who’s most at risk? Keep on reading to find out.

 Daylight Saving: Who Is Most Effected and For How Long?

Sorry ladies! Daylight Saving time is not your friend. Studies show the adverse health risks are worse for women than men.

And how long does this disruption last for? The highest risk is in the first three weekdays following the switchover, with an elevated risk hanging around for at least two to four weeks after changeover.

In saying that, bright sunny mornings and low light evenings are super important for promoting healthy sleep and optimal circadian rhythms. That is how nature designed it. So, for the entire daylight saving period, when the opposite is happening, our circadian health is being compromised to some degree.

Why Did Daylight Savings Even Start In The First Place?

Good question! Daylight saving time was first introduced in Australia during World War I. The reason being to “save fuel”. The idea was that by having extra light in the evening, people would save energy by decreasing the need for lighting at night.

Call me crazy but this doesn’t quite pass the common-sense test to me. After all, whatever light doesn’t go on at night, surely goes on in the morning – unless of course, the powers that be expect us to bumble around in the dark at 6am as we get ourselves and the kiddies ready for the day ahead.

Source: https://www.historyhit.com/the-history-of-daylight-saving-time/

So, Does Daylight Savings Save Energy As Intended? 

Umm….nope! Based on international and local studies the energy saving idea behind DST has been completely debunked.

An experiment done in Western Australia, who dipped in and out of daylight saving time during the 1970s found that DST had “little effect on overall electricity demand and electricity generation costs” but what it did shift was when people used electricity (surprise, surprise).

A similar conclusion was found by a pair of American economists in 2007. They analysed power usage during another natural Australian experiment, the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In that year, daylight saving time in the south eastern states was moved up to 27 August. When the economists compared the extended daylight saving period with previous years, they found daylight saving time reduced electricity demand in the evening, but had the opposite effect in the morning, with that spike first thing probably costing more.

Daylight Savings: An Energy Waster  

Finally, another international study showed that forward DST time can actually increase electricity consumption. When the temperatures is warm, air conditioner and cooling usage is high, meaning that the increase in the demand for cooling outweighs the decline in the demand for lighting.

So, if DST doesn’t actually achieve the energy saving objectives intended, what justification is there to continue playing with Nature’s clocks? None of course. But as we know from history, once the government implements a new rule, it is much harder to go back and undo the damage, than it is to stop it in the first place.

Daylight Saving: How To Minimise Your Adverse Health Effects

Whilst the promise of longer and warmer days is something that fans of daylight saving like to remind us of, we would still get longer and warmer days even without messing with our clocks. Summer time brings more daylight hours naturally, compliments of Nature, not changing the time on our clocks.

Alas, no amount of me winging will stop our clocks being wound forward next week, so in preparation here are a few ways you can minimise the damage, even though you may think you don’t need to.

Speaking of which, the “spring forward” time shift is considered much more harmful to our health that the “fall back” and when we gain an hour in Autumn. Even losing just one hour of sleep causes chaos in our body.

Best Strategies To Help You Adjust to Daylight Saving Time

Ready to have your most well-adjusted DST ever? Here are 14 strategies to help you get through the next daylight saving time change:

1. Gradually Shift Your Sleep Schedule: Start adjusting your sleep and wake times by 10–15 minutes earlier each day, at least four days before the daylight saving change. This will help your body gradually adapt to the time shift, reducing the shock of losing an hour of sleep.
2. Set Your Alarm Earlier: In preparation for the early start on Monday, set your alarm 30 minutes earlier on Saturday and Sunday.
3. Morning Sun Exposure: Get at least 30 minutes of morning sunlight within the first hour after sunrise. This helps reset your circadian clock and increases the production of serotonin, which will later convert to melatonin at night, improving your sleep quality.
4. Let The Light In: To minimise your circadian disruption, make your mornings and days light and bright. Open windows and doors and take regular sun breaks to ensure you’re getting your healthy dose of UVA, UVB and infra-red wavelengths.
5. Optimise Light Exposure in the Evening: In the days leading up to the change, dim indoor lights in the evening, ideally two hours before bed. Reduce exposure to blue light from screens using blue light blocking glasses. Remember, blue light disrupts melatonin production and confuses your circadian rhythm.
6. Hydration and Magnesium Intake: Stay well-hydrated, and consider taking magnesium supplements or eating magnesium-rich foods like almonds and pumpkin seeds. Magnesium supports relaxation and better sleep, which will be essential as your body adjusts to the clock change.
7. Grounding or Earthing: Spend time outdoors with direct skin contact on natural surfaces like grass, soil and sand, especially in the morning. Grounding reduces inflammation, helps align your circadian rhythm with natural light-dark cycles, and balances your body’s internal clock by resetting electrical charges.
8. Evening Routine Wind Down: Prioritise a calm evening routine to promote relaxation and tell your body that it’s time to sleep.  Journaling, gentle stretching and reading are all calming rituals that help your body shift into rest mode.
9. Limit Caffeine and Alcohol: Minimise those coffee breaks, especially after midday, and avoid alcohol. Both disrupt your sleep cycles and can exacerbate the difficulties caused by the time shift. Go for calming herbal teas like chamomile or valerian root in the evening instead.
10. Take Short Power Naps (If Needed): If you feel particularly tired after the time change, take a short power nap (20-30 minutes) in the early afternoon. This can refresh you without interfering with your night time sleep.
11. Increase DHA-Rich Foods: Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, are crucial for your brain and cellular health, improving the way light is absorbed by your body. Include more foods like wild-caught salmon, sardines, and algae to support healthy mitochondrial function.
12. Practice Mindful Breathing and Meditation: Make time for breathwork or meditation in your day. These help reduce stress and tension and lowers cortisol levels, which helps your body transition into sleep more effectively when clocks are adjusted.
13. Avoid Heavy Meals Before Bed: Try to finish your last meal at least 2-3 hours before bed to prevent your digestive system from working overtime. A light, early dinner supports optimal sleep and ensures that your body focuses on rest and repair rather than digestion during sleep, especially during the transition period.
14. Give Yourself Time to Adjust: Be kind to yourself and allow your body some flexibility in the days after the time change. You may feel groggy or less focused for a few days, but being patient and continuing healthy sleep practices will help your body adjust more quickly.

With these ideas and strategies in your toolbox your body will be aligned to a more natural rhythm in no time. You’ll also mitigate the stress of the daylight saving time change and improve your overall resilience during this annoying transition.

Daylight Saving Time: It’s Time To Go in Australia

Whilst we can’t avoid DST just yet, there’s hope. Many countries have already scrapped it, and more are following suit. Raising awareness and speaking out to your local MP could help speed up the change. It’s time for all the #lightwarriors and #lightgoddesses to stand up for circadian health and say goodbye to DST once and for all—because after all Mother Nature and Father Time knows best!