Changing over to daylight saving time affects more than just moving the clock ahead.
According to Wendy Hall, Emeritus Professor at UBC in the School of Nursing, it has an effect on our internal clock as well.
Hall said the hour change makes us feel like we have jetlag:
“When we Spring ahead we’re putting our clocks inside our bodies, because we have master clocks in our brains and little clocks in all of our cells, out of synch with what’s going on with clock time externally… that creates problems with our Circadian rhythms, affecting our ability to go to sleep at the time when normally go to sleep and wake up in the morning when we normally wake up.”
Hall said the old school of thought was that feeling of being jet-lagged went away after a couple of days, but she has seen recent research that suggests it could take up to two weeks before your body totally adjusts to the new time.
There are benefits and challenges with the time change according to Hall, as getting up with the light and going to bed with the light is positive, while trying to get your body in sync with the new clock time may result in lost sleep and lasting effects on your body.
Daylight saving time starts at 3 A.M. this Sunday (March 7th)
– with files from Pat Matthews, MyCaribooNow.com staff
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