Time to reset
the clock and fall back this weekend! Changing time back and forth is frustrating,
but do you know how Daylight savings time end affects our daily life?? Here are
eye opening facts about springing forward and backward-Brought to you by PartsAvatar Car Parts.
Get ready this
Sunday to turn back one hour as daylight saving time is ending! But why do we
need to reset our clocks? Can it affect our body?
We answer your
every query below.
What is the point of Daylight saving time?
Benjamin
Franklin takes the honour or blame depending on your view of the time changes,
for coming up with the idea to reset the clocks to conserve energy. It is said
that by moving clock forward, people could take advantage of extra evening
daylight rather wasting energy on lighting. The idea of using DST
is to take benefit of daylight hours so that people don’t sleep through the
first few hours of sunshine.
More than 70
countries of the world follow DST. In Canada, Saskatchewan and Québec’s north
shore don’t follow DST. Canadian provinces that follow the protocol of DST
during summer months will need to turn their clocks back by an hour at 2 a.m.
on Sunday. In other words, by reverting back their clock time, people can enjoy
extra sleeping hour.
The regions that
are farthest from equator and closer to the poles get the advantage of DST
because there is more dramatic change in sunlight throughout the seasons.
How does the time change affect our daily lives?
Several studies
suggest that many people have expressed their concerns about negative effects
of DST on our health and economy. Over the years, it has been noted that the
number of accidents have increased during daylight saving time. Let us read
about some serious after-effects of daylight saving time end.
Heart attacks and other health issues
Time change can
tamper with your heart’s health. Health experts warn that losing an hour of
sleep increases the risk of stroke in the first three days of DST.
According to a
study done in American college of cardiology, it was found that number of
patients admitted for heart attacks spiked 25 percent on Monday immediately
after clock change. Changes in sleep patterns can result in such situations.
Combined stress of a typical back to work Monday and lost sleep hour could lead
to vulnerable heart problems.
If you aren’t
sleeping well, your body’s metabolism takes a hit along with your eating
routine. Older adults and people with cancer seemed to have the most increased
risk during the time. Disturbed sleep patterns can contribute to high blood
pressure and poor mental health both of which are risk factors for heart attack
and strokes.
For people who
get clustered headaches, attacks often occur around seasonal changes,
especially after increase in warmth and light.
Becoming insomniac!
If you are going
to bed a little early the night before and get at least 8 hours of sleep, you
may wake up feeling refreshed.
Those who suffer
from sleep disorders find it difficult to adjust with the time change. Doctors
who treat insomnia said that insomniac patients take a long time to fall asleep
but it’s a bit accentuated by the spring time change. That can mean that
insomniac’s may have to suffer for several days due to time change.
Well, there are
many ways in which you can take a sound sleep even in time change situation. If
you get an opportunity to get an extra hour of sleep, don’t lose it. Eat
healthy meal, stay hydrated and avoid caffeinated beverages.
Increase your
exposure to bright sun light and it can fulfill the need of vit- D deficiency in
you. Drivers should be extra alert. If you are feeling drowsy while driving,
turning on the radio or windows are not going to wake you up. It is better to
get a sleep when needed.
Getting into fatal accidents!!
A more recent
study have suggested that DST leads to higher incidents of traffic and
workplace accidents , as well as the reduced productivity in the days after the
shift.
According to a study
in university of Colorado, 17 percent hike in the fatal accidents was noticed
after the clocks moved forward an hour in spring. Fatal crashes can often be
seen in spring than in fall when the time moves back.
Spring daylight
saving time is a period when people lose a little extra time which results in
restlessness, fatigue, exhaustion and feeling drowsy.
According to
Carnegie Melon University, time switch seems to have an impact on number of
pedestrians killed by vehicles in the immediate aftermath of the change back to
standard time in the fall. Pedestrians get fatally struck by the cars after the
clock falls back in the autumn. The number of pedestrian accident rises around
6 p.m. after the clock has been moved back an hour. So pedestrians beware!
There are some
tips for drivers to reduce accidents on road:
1. Never drive
when over tired. Drowsy conditions may
lead to serious accident on road. Make sure you get sleep.
2. Make sure all
the interior lights are off in the car so that bright lights won’t distract
you.
3. be aware on
the road. Even if you are alert, you can’t take guarantee of other drivers on
the road.
It’s better to
plan ahead so that you don’t get caught off guard by the next time change.
Coping with the Time change
1. It is very
important to expose yourself to bright light during the waking hours. Do not expose
to bright light when it is dark outside. Insomniacs may benefit from sun light
so getting free natural Vitamin D isn’t a bad idea.
2. Maintain a
proper sleep hygiene which includes exercising before bedtime, avoiding
caffeine and alcohol and relaxing yourself before going to bed.
3. When you
change the time on your clocks, check the batteries and swap them with new ones
if their change is low.
So, get plenty
of sleep, be prepared beforehand.
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