Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
Cricket, my chihuahua poodle mix, is so happy this time of the year as she knows she is sure to get a good walk before it gets dark. The change in time to Daylight Saving Time gives me a chance to get home before dark and for us to do a little walking.
The change in time, though, will affect people in a variety of ways. We are all tied to our circadian rhythm, which is our natural internal clock that inhabits all our cells. It is tied to our beginnings on earth - when we were dependent totally upon the sun for light and slept during the night by the shining of the moon. We are tied to that rhythm.
When one’s circadian rhythm is disturbed, our inner sleep clock is thrown off. To that end, the beginning of Daylight Saving Time is associated with a time of danger. More car accidents happen during the first few weeks. More heart attacks, strokes, injuries at work, suicides and overdosages happen during the first few weeks as our bodies adjust to this new time. So, it is a time when one should be more careful along the journey of life as one adjusts. This is particularly so with people who have mental health issues such as depression and bipolar disorder. That change in sleep can affect their emotional health. Studies have shown that teens are found to be more disagreeable during this period of transition. This is because with puberty, things change, and the circadian rhythm has teens sleeping later, so they are already sleep-deprived and irritable in this Western society of 8 a.m. school.
Studies show that people are less generous; they make poor financial decisions, and even federal judges deliver harsher sentences right after the transition to Daylight Saving Time. So, one should be a little cautious.
It takes a few weeks to get one’s circadian rhythm back in line but what can one do to hurry up the process? How can one encourage that circadian rhythm to catch up? First, use light. The day/night cycle is what the body responds to. Therefore, light up your world especially when you get up in the morning. Go outside and get some sun.
Watch the caffeine as it may keep you awake too long. Be aware that the alcohol may lull you to sleep but the quality of the sleep may not be that good.
Add some exercise to the mix and then go to bed a little earlier, ditch the cell phone and other distractions during sleep.
We humans are a crafty bunch, and we will soon get our circadian rhythm back until we do it all again in the fall when the time falls back an hour.
Cricket does not care. She just wants to walk in the light or dark.
Dr. Veita Bland is a board-certified Greensboro physician and hypertension specialist. Dr. Bland’s radio show, “It’s a Matter of Your Health,” can be heard live on Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. on N.C. A&T State University’s WNAA, 90.1 FM. Listeners may call in and ask questions. The show is replayed on Sirius 142 at 5 p.m. on Wed. Email Dr. Bland at ideas@blandclinicpa.com.
