Q&A: ‘Nature has a better design’ than changing our clocks twice a year

On Sunday, most Americans will adjust their clocks 1 hour to “fall back” into standard time, during which folks will gain an hour of sleep but lose an hour of daylight.

Not everyone is on board with this biannual ritual of changing their clocks, however. Earlier this year, a bipartisan bill that intends to make daylight saving time permanent by the end of 2023 was passed in the Senate.

Healio spoke to Abhinav Singh, MD, FAASM, medical review expert at SleepFoundation.org and medical director of the Indiana Sleep Center, to get his take on the perils and pitfalls of altering sleep patterns that come with changing clocks.

Healio: How has your time as medical director of the Indiana Sleep Center — in a state known for its constant wrestling with the issues of time zone boundary locations and whether sunlight is best early or later in the day for various industries — influenced your opinions and research regarding sleep?

Singh: Western edges of time zones get affected most with the time zone changes, and Indiana is one of them. More research has shown that making evenings brighter by robbing morning light is only a commercial interest [rather] than any scientific advantage.

Adequate research has demonstrated no benefit with regard to electricity, fuel savings or farmer benefits, and [it carries] more health risks. Moreso, daylight savings keeps us desynchronized for a good 8 months.

Healio: In your research, have statistics shown that sleep adjustments are easier or more difficult on individuals during the “spring forward” or “fall back” components of clock setting, and why?

Singh: Spring forward into daylight saving time is an acute hour lost. Basically, we are springing forward into sleep deprivation in an already sleep-deprived society. Nature always has a better design. Kids waiting for school bus in the dark equals more accidents.

Healio: Can you cite any research that reveals whether moving the “fall back” Sunday from the last Sunday in October to the first Sunday in November either positively or negatively affected sleep patterns or seasonal depression?

Singh: [While I] don’t know of specific research at this time, what we effectively did was buy ourselves 1 more week of misalignment with the sun.

Healio: Do you believe it is wise from a wellness standpoint for a country as large as the United States, with diverse populations and diverse living circumstances, to switch to daylight saving time year-round, where less morning and more evening light becomes the norm, particularly in places like the Northeast, Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest during the colder months of the year?

Singh: We were designed to be aligned with the sun. [Going to] daylight saving time all year round [means we] wake up more often in the darkness before sunrise, [and there will be] increased light in the evening, disrupting the body’s natural rhythm. Morning light is best for our bodies.

Healio: Aside from your suggestion that folks “begin going to sleep and waking up a little bit earlier, 15 min. or so each day” and “to find morning sunshine ... to help invigorate your sleep-wake rhythms,” what else do you recommend to ease the transition from daylight saving into standard time?

Singh: Prep early, and start the transition 3 to 5 days earlier. Avoid the temptation to stay up late. Get back to the basics with less light in the evening, more light in the daytime. [Sleep] in a cool, dark room.