Health
1News

Sleep expert warns of daylight saving health risks

March 28, 2022

Dr Jocelyn Cheng of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's Public Safety Committee explained what happens to our bodies during the switch. (Source: Breakfast)

An American neurologist is warning of the increased medical risks when switching to daylight saving.

It comes as the Sunshine Protection Act's been passed in the United States and could see an end to changing clocks twice a year.

Daylight saving in New Zealand comes to an end this week.

But since the change in the US, sleep experts have been welcoming the opportunity to banish daylight saving.

Neurologist Dr Jocelyn Cheng of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's Public Safety Committee told Breakfast she is one of those supporting a change to a permanent standard time rather than having daylight saving.

She says that's because the switch can increase health risks.

"Our bodies have a natural, what we call circadian rhythm, I think a lot of people have heard the term, and what that is is an internal clock that areas of our brain as well as individual cells in the rest of our body run by, so it's generally a bit over a 24 hour cycle," she explained.

"It is an internally regulated clock, but at the same time it's strongly influenced by external factors, and the strongest external factor out there being our exposure to daylight."

Cheng says the natural rhythm of our bodies means we should be exposed to daylight in the morning, then dimmer light or less exposure to daylight as we wind down in the evening as it gives out bodies cues to go to sleep.

She says standard time works with our circadian rhythm.

"Studies have looked, and there are many of them, at the impact of changing to daylight savings to standard time and standard time to daylight savings.

"The preponderance of evidence is that there are adverse health consequences when you change to daylight savings time - some of those things include an increased risk of cardiovascular events like atrial fibrillation, like having heart attacks, like having strokes; there's also increased risks of obesity, increased glucose intolerance so a propensity to a diabetic stage, changes in blood pressure..."

Cheng clarified that those were all linked to the change to daylight saving rather than to standard time.

However, as Kiwis prepare for the switch to standard time, she advised people to ease back by trying to move their clock in 15 minute increments over the coming days, as well as adjust dinner times.

Daylight saving in New Zealand starts each year at 2am on the last Sunday in September, and ends at 3am on the first Sunday in April.

SHARE ME

More Stories