Daylight Saving Time: More Trouble Than It's Worth?

[Sherman A1]

If you’re feeling tired due to the daylight savings shift, you’re not alone. One researcher at Washington University says the time change may cause more problems than it solves.

Erik Herzog studies the biological clocks of mammals. He says several studies have shown that daylight saving is hard on us humans, especially the “spring ahead.” Effects like sleep deprivation result in increased traffic accidents for three days after the time change.

Herzog says the effect in the fall is the opposite – there are fewer traffic accidents – but that effect lasts only one day.

In addition, there’s an increase in the number of heart attacks for two days following the switch to daylight saving time.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/daylight-saving-time-more-trouble-its-worth