Experts: Daylight Saving can cause added health risks over time

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The start of Daylight Saving might leave you feeling groggy and tired the next day, sometimes throwing the whole week off.

An expert at Marquette University says messing with the clocks means messing with your body.

"Our bodies know what time of day it is. They help us anticipate the changes. They help us prepare for when we wake up and if we're pushing the fast forward on that, sometimes those rhythms don't catch up," said Dr. Jennifer Evans, Professor of Biomedical Sciences.

Dr. Evans is an expert in circadian rhythms and says daylight saving is routinely causing stress on our bodies.

"We don't really need to do this because the days are naturally getting longer around this time of year but we're choosing to hit the fast forward button and by doing so, jet lagging ourselves twice a year," she said. Evans says this comes with health risks and there's science to back that up.

"Data shows that the day after turning the clocks forward accidents increase by more than 60 percent and heart attacks by 20 percent," according to Dr. Evans.

"What that reflects is a lack of attention and cognition and grogginess in the morning," she said. There's also an economic impact.

"There's a drop in productivity that's been estimated to cost about $433 million dollars just due to Daylight Saving time because of loss worker productivity," she said.

The topic has been debated among lawmakers. Last year the Sunlight Protection Act was reintroduced.

It aims to make daylight saving permanent and eliminate turning clocks back later in the year. The bill unanimously passed the senate but stalled in the house.

To help prepare for the spring forward, Dr. Evans says Sunday you should wake up earlier, and immediately get outside and get some sunlight.