Saving energy and resources have been among the leading concerns today, which is why people would change their clocks twice a year. While this may be regarded as an environmentally-friendly practice, researchers found that this may lead to adverse health consequences.

In a position statement released by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the organisation called for the cancellation of daylight saving time. A sleep medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic and AASM president, Dr Kannan Ramar, said that they have evidence, which they have built up over the years, in relation to how the shift from the standard time to daylight saving time and back again affects health.

Explaining the evidence that Dr Ramar and the team have built over time, he compared it with that of filling a cup with water. The evidence that they have accumulated over time is like the water, then over the years add it to the "cup." Eventually, however, it would reach a point where it would overflow.

A study "Daylight Saving Time Transitions: Impact on Total Mortality" published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, which evaluated data from 1970 to 2018, revealed that the impact on health is widely varied. This could affect stroke and atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular health, medication errors, and even traffic accidents. In Vienna, the study noted that there was a three percent increase in mortality only a week after the transition to daylight saving time was made. Not enough sleep has also been linked to heart attack, depression, asthma, and type 2 diabetes.

Changing clocks basically hampers the ability of the body to enjoy a good night's sleep. This exacerbates the existing sleep problems that many people already face. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that one in three Americans do not enjoy enough sleep regularly. In 2016, the CDC made a declaration that a sleep problem is a public health concern.

A woman sleeping
Supplement magnesium for good night's sleep. Photo: Pixabay

Since government authorities are imposing the shift, the AASM, through Ramar, suggested that people would have to make adjustments prior to the date set for the shift to daylight saving time and vice versa. He advised people to slowly transition and do some changes to their schedule a few days or up to a week prior to the shift.