RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – While an hour of sleep loss is seemingly harmless, the circadian shift of Daylight Savings Time has deadly consequences.
According to the American Medical Association, Daylight Savings Time “negatively impacts health by disrupting sleep patterns.” They advocate eliminating it and staying with year-round Standard Time.Â
A renowned Beckley psychiatrist says it affects younger children, having to adjust to going back to school early, to chemical changes with one’s inner clock, to more automobile accidents, and more in-patient hospital admissions soon after the time change.
“There have been incidences of more heart attacks, more strokes, more stress-related issues,” said ARH Behavioral Health Medical Director Dr. Ahmed Faheem. “Last I heard, over 63% of the population is not in favor of it.”
It would be fine if we take into consideration a portion of the population with the health capacity and ability to adjust their sleep cycle and clock. But Faheem says we’re dealing with people who have chronic sleep problems.
“Even with the loss of an hour’s sleep,” the doctor said, adding that this throws off shift workers who already have to adjust. “And elderly, people with pre-dementia, cognitive impairment, have major problems in adjusting.”
While sleep is vital, it’s not such an integral part of life anymore. People who don’t get adequate sleep, at least seven or eight hours — Faheem says often have major health problems.
“Including illnesses you wouldn’t even think about: obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac issues,” said the ARH Behavioral Health Medical Director. “Things that can be fixed like sleep apnea is a major health hazard if they don’t have an adequate amount of sleep.”
When it comes to the physiological phenomenon of the inner clock, Faheem says not everybody’s clock is going to adjust. Doctors could train people to regulate their sleep, but the majority of people don’t want their clock to be disturbed that way.
“And for what purpose,” he said. “Show me statistics demonstrating some sort of evidence that Daylight Saving Time has made a big economic difference, a big difference in the functioning of an institution or whatever, that would be a more convincing debate to have.”
