WVXU: Is it time to stop 'falling back'? Sleep experts say yes
UC expert says the biggest reason to stay on standard time all year is school safety
Daylight saving time ended on November 1, and WXVU-FM turned to Ann Romaker, MD, of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine in the UC College of Medicine for her expertise on the impact the time change has on society.
Ann Romaker, MD, of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. Photo Credit/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand
When the country switches to daylight saving time in the spring, Romaker says research shows there's "more inflammatory chemicals running loose in the body. There's lower tone of the vagus nerve, which is the one that controls the heart and swallowing so there's a higher heart rate and higher blood pressure and reduced sleep during daylight saving time in the summer," she says. "In the fall when you go backwards, that's been associated with mood disturbances and increased rates of suicide; traffic accidents increase in the first few days after the change, and fatal crashes increase 6% in the United States."
She also said the school safety is the biggest reason to stay on standard time year-round.
Lead image: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
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