5 Surprising Ways Your Body Reacts to Daylight Saving Time

1. Higher risk of heart attack and stroke

Daylight saving time takes a toll on your heart. One study found a 24 percent increase in heart attacks on the Monday after daylight saving time starts. Another found the risk of stroke is 8 percent higher on the two days following the time change.

In addition, the number of people hospitalized with atrial fibrillation, or A-fib — the most common type of irregular heartbeat — surges in the days following the spring time change, according to a 2020 analysis of 6,089 patient admissions at Montefiore Medical Center in New York.  

Scientists aren’t sure why daylight saving time affects your heart and blood vessels, but it’s likely related to the disruption of the body’s circadian rhythm, says Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., chair of the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and immediate past president of the American Heart Association.

“We get established in these patterns and the body knows what to expect,” he says. “When those patterns get disrupted, you tend to see differences in stress hormone levels and differences in blood pressure levels. Both of those things can be triggers for heart attacks and strokes that might not otherwise have happened.”

2. Impaired decision-making

Scientists have long known that lack of sleep can affect your ability to think and make decisions. Studies also show that people who don’t get enough shut-eye are more likely to take risks and make mistakes.

That may explain why there’s a spike in medical errors, workplace injuries and car wrecks after people reset their clocks in the spring, says Sabra Abbott, M.D., associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the Northwestern Circadian Medicine Clinic. “In general, sleep deprivation removes the frontal lobe functions in our body — that’s the part of the brain that keeps us in check and from doing things we shouldn’t do,” Abbott says. “The less sleep you get, the more likely you are to give in to impulses, and the less likely you are to make good choices.”

A 2020 study that examined vehicle accident data over a 10-year period revealed a 6 percent increase in fatal car crashes in the week after people reset their clocks in the spring. Because there was no similar increase in the fall when people gain an hour of sleep, the study authors said the spike was most likely explained by “circadian misalignment and sleep deprivation.”  

3. Difficulty with memory and focus

Lack of sleep negatively affects memory, attention span and focus, research shows.

Expect to be more easily distracted and less productive the day after you set your clock forward. One study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology revealed a sharp increase in “cyberloafing” — using the internet for personal use rather than working — on the Monday after the time change.

“When we sleep, a lot of critical tasks happen in our brain,” Lipford says. “We need good deep sleep so the next day we can multitask, learn new tasks and pay attention.”

4. Appetite changes and cravings

You may feel hungrier than normal the week after the time change, experts say.

That’s partly because you’re eating your meals an hour later than you’re used to. But it’s also because of fluctuating hormone levels in your brain. Even a small sleep deficit increases the hormone ghrelin — which makes you hungry — and suppresses the hormone leptin, which helps you feel satisfied after you eat.

When those hunger pangs hit, you’ll probably find yourself reaching for pizza, doughnuts or other foods that are high in fat or sugar. Why? Because science shows that “when you’re sleep deprived, you tend to make fewer healthy choices,” Lipford says.

5. Increased irritation

You already know that when you’re tired, your mood is affected. Research indicates that it’s harder to regulate your emotions when you haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep. You feel irritable, impatient and more likely to snap at loved ones.

Even judges, who are supposed to be impartial, may be moodier in the days after daylight saving time begins; one study found that they dole out harsher sentences immediately after the shift.​.