MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — When daylight saving time begins, you may feel groggy or tired the next day, and in some cases, your entire week may be over.
Experts at Marquette University say that tampering with your watch means tampering with your body.
“Our bodies know what time it is. They help us anticipate changes. They help us prepare for when we wake up, but if we're fast forwarding it , sometimes those rhythms can't keep up.” Dr. Jennifer Evans, Professor of Biomedical Sciences;
Dr. Evans is an expert on circadian rhythms and says daylight saving time puts stress on our bodies on a daily basis.
“We don't actually have to do this, as the days naturally get longer at this time of year, but we choose to hit the fast forward button, and in doing so we avoid jet lag twice a year. That’s the case,” she said. Evans says this comes with health risks and there is science to back it up.
“Data shows that accidents increase by more than 60 percent and heart attacks increase by more than 20 percent the day after clocks are set forward,” Dr. Evans said.
“This reflects a lack of attention, cognition, and morning grogginess,” she says. There are also economic implications.
“The cost of reduced productivity and lost worker productivity due to daylight saving time is estimated to be approximately $433 million,” she said.
This topic is being debated among lawmakers. Last year, the Sunshine Protection Act was reintroduced.
It aims to make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate the practice of setting clocks back later in the year. The bill passed the Senate unanimously but died in the House.
Dr. Evans says to prepare for the upcoming spring, you should wake up early on Sunday and immediately go outside to get some sunshine.
