A doctor from Los Angeles spoke about the impact of changing clocks on people’s health

Very soon, most countries will set the time back an hour. This action greatly affects health, according to Dr. Rajkumar Dasgupta. Countries switch to summer time in March, adding an hour to the day. Let’s figure out why it’s so important to set the clocks back.

Research over the past 25 years has shown that the clock change disrupts the body’s rhythms tuned to the Earth’s rotation. The data adds fuel to the ongoing debate about whether daylight saving time in any form is a good idea.

The problem is that for every argument there is a counter-argument. For example, there are studies that show that statistically, more traffic accidents occur when people lose an extra hour of sleep. But there are also studies that show that robberies decrease when there is an extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day. Scientists also know that people are more likely to suffer heart attacks at the start of daylight saving time. But what about our mental health? People seem to be happier when there is an extra hour of daylight.

In a recent interview with CNN, Dr. Rajkumar Dasgupta, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, explained how changing times affect people’s health.

The most common problem that arises, according to Dr. Desgupta, is an increase in pain factors for meth addicts and people suffering from migraines:

“The end of daylight saving time tends to be a trigger for headaches. Cluster attacks may occur every day for six to eight weeks and then disappear. The theory is that you can actually start a cycle by switching the time to daylight saving time and back again.”

It is believed that the body itself can become a generator of such pain, since there is a part of the brain located in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythms, that is, the human biological clock.

When it comes to migraines, scientists believe that as nights increase, people who suffer from them have difficulty sleeping. For example, there may be a complete absence of it, which ultimately leads to an increase in the frequency of headaches.

When asked why the human body reacts to a change in time, the doctor gives the following explanation: “Despite the seemingly small change in time, it can significantly affect our biological clock, which regulates the cycle of sleep and awakening.”

It is noted that “sleep is very individual. Not everyone will be affected equally by the changes. It is important to understand that not only time changes can trigger this condition, but even changing time zones can cause cluster headaches.”

The discussion touched upon the influence of time changes on a person’s mental state. Here the doctor pays special attention to the fact that a shortening of autumn and winter days can lead to such an affective disorder as depression caused by the change of seasons and decreasing daylight. It is noted that many studies have shown that time change does not directly cause mental illness, but it can definitely be a trigger for people with already diagnosed problems:

“I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to suffer or have to live with their moods that aren’t going in the right direction. If you notice a change in your mental health, especially if it is affecting your quality of life, always contact your doctor,” said Rajkumar Dasgupta.

Studies have also noted that Alzheimer’s disease and dementia predominate in people who react acutely to time changes. These groups are particularly vulnerable to sleep disturbances, which can further worsen their symptoms. This is because their awakening cycle is dependent on cognitive impairment, including irregular sleep patterns and daytime sleepiness.

This connection is particularly puzzling to scientists “because sleep plays a vital role in cognitive function and memory consolidation (the process of transitioning memory from short-term to long-term form). Sleep disturbances can aggravate the situation, making it even more difficult to carry out daily activities and maintain independence.”

How to protect yourself in such a situation? Dr. Dasgupta gives the following advice: adjust your schedule relative to your biological clock and make it slower; do exercises, spend time outside in the morning and do not neglect light therapy. These activities can help keep you alert and active while your body rebuilds.

“I think it’s also really important that people – particularly with migraines, it’s just a shame that’s one of the triggers – get their medications ready twice a year. No matter what we are talking about, be it your mood or your headache, if you notice that your headache is getting worse and it is not stopping, conventional medicines are not working, contact your doctor immediately,” notes Rajkumar Dasgupta in the conversation from CNN.