Daylight Savings Has Begun

Do you feel like today is the most Monday-ist of Mondays? I know the feeling. Yea, it's great when we "fall" back and gain an hour of sleep but this whole "spring" ahead things mess with me. If it messes with you too, we are not alone.

Research done by Dr. Beth Ann Malow, professor of Neurology and Pediatrics in the Sleep Disorders Division at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, backs this. 

“It’s not one hour twice a year. It’s a misalignment of our biological clocks for eight months of the year. When we talk about DST and its relationship to light, we are talking about profound impacts on the biological clock, which is a structure rooted in the brain. It impacts brain functions such as energy levels and alertness.”

Overall, Daylight Savings Time:

• Reduces the amount of bright morning light we receive which helps with our sleep/wake cycle or circadian rhythm
• Shrinks the average adult sleep duration by 15-20 minutes
• Can cause significant issues in sleep/wake cycles that last week to months in children with autism
• Is not observed in Arizona or Hawaii