We spring forward and fall back. Most of us know exactly what this means. Most of us also have an opinion on whether we love or hate Daylight Savings Time (DST). But did you know that some scientists warn that these time changes can possibly pose negative health effects? One day in the near future, Alabama residents may not have to worry about changing their clocks. But until Congress approves the bill to make daylight saving time year-round in Alabama, people there will continue to follow the time changes.
Sleep deprivation and circadian misalignment
According to a study, spring DST transition acutely increases fatal traffic accident risk by 6% in the US. The study continues on to say that the increased risk has been partly attributed to sleep deprivation and circadian misalignment. Basically, messing with your body's internal clock can cause both physical and psychiatric consequences.
Huh? What exactly does this mean to me?
Daylight savings time is this weekend, and that means we’ll lose an hour of sleep. It also means that if you go out, your body may get confused when you're driving when you really should be in bed. We all know that drinking and driving is never a good idea, but when your body's internal clock is misaligned the consequences can be even greater. There may also be a link between DST and an increased risk of DUI. We're don't pretend to be scientists, but we know how disastrous drunk driving can be on a normal day so we don't want you to experience an even higher risk of accident.
Do your part to keep the roads safe
Try your best to get your circadian rhythm back on schedule by getting plenty of sleep in the days following the time change. And as always, don't drink and drive. Contact us for help separating drinking from driving.
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