Seasonal time changes: Survey shows more Americans want fixed year-round time

Public health and safety will benefit if seasonal time changes will be eliminated, as it is the time that coincides well with the body's internal clock.

With the return to standard time nearing for many Americans, the clamour to have a fixed year-round time was once again brought to the forefront. A survey found that around 63 percent of Americans would like to have just one "time" the whole year.

Dr Kannan Ramar, American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) president said that the evidence of the adverse impacts to health just continues to add on and that there is a strong movement behind the clamour to end seasonal time changes, according to WebMD.

The AASM released its official position statement regarding the public health aspect of going for a one-year fixed time. It underscored that public health and safety will benefit if the seasonal time changes are eliminated, calling for the use of standard time permanently. This is the time that coincides well with the body's internal body clock. The statement of AASM has been endorsed by more than 20 organisations, which include the National Parent Teacher Association, National Safety Council, and the World Sleep Society.

The time changes, which also affects the body's clock, can lead to different health impacts, and worse, it can lead to flawed or erroneous actions. In fact, researchers noted that they saw approximately an 18 percent increase in medical incidents resulting from human error within the week from switching to daylight saving time in spring.

The AASM stated that daylight saving increases the risk of stroke, sleep loss, and even contributes to inflammation, which is one of the responses of the body whenever it is exposed to stressors.

Dr M. Adeel Rishi, Mayo Clinic's sleep medicine specialist, said that a "permanent, year-round standard time" is the most ideal choice that could most closely match the body's circadian rhythm. He explained that daylight saving time disrupts the natural rhythm of the body since adopting the said "schedule" leads to more light at night and more darkness during the daytime.

The AASM made some recommendations in order to be able to make the most of the hour that people will gain come Nov. 1. The body recommends that people must go to bed at the usual time, to wake up at a regular time, and to set the clocks back an hour before getting to bed.

The Sleep Foundation.org, a site that licenses content from the National Sleep Foundation, said that foods like tarts, cherries, kiwi, malted milk, nuts, fatty fish and rice, could all help improve sleep.