2023-10-28 10:10:43
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 5, according to which clocks in most American states will be moved back one hour. However, this does not happen smoothly for our health, according to Dr. Rajkumar Dasgupta, attached professor. in Clinical Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
In an interview conducted by CNN with him, Dasgupta explains how to maintain your health when the time changes, and how to reduce its impact on it.
CNN: What types of health problems do you expect when the time changes?
Dr. Rajkumar Dasgupta: Daylight saving time is ending soon, and while most of us would welcome the extra hour of sleep, the time change is causing headaches for some people.
The end of daylight saving time often triggers cluster headaches. You may experience cluster headaches daily and may last for 6 to 8 weeks, then go away. The theory is that you can actually trigger a cycle of cluster headaches by moving from daylight saving time to winter time.
The strength of the relationship between time change and cluster headaches is due to the fact that the part of the brain that also generates cluster headaches is also the part of the brain that manages our circadian rhythms and is located in the hypothalamus.
In addition, many people with migraines suffer from a little sleep deprivation, or their sleep is affected by this change, so they will experience an increase in the frequency of headaches during this period.
CNN: Why does daylight saving time have such an impact?
Dasghubata: Although a seemingly small shift, daylight saving time can significantly impact our circadian rhythm, which regulates our sleep-wake cycle.
Sleep is very individual. Not everyone will be equally affected by a change in circadian rhythm. It’s important to realize that it’s not just daylight saving time changes that can trigger these cluster headaches, but even changing time zones.
CNN: Should we be worried regarding getting depressed as darkness falls?
Dasghubata: The end of daylight saving time means less light and shorter days in the fall and winter, and this change may increase seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression caused by the changing seasons and decreased daylight.
It’s well documented that time shifting doesn’t directly cause mental health conditions, but it certainly can greatly affect people with pre-existing conditions.
CNN: Are there any demographic groups that should be more aware of the time shift?
Dasghubata: Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are particularly vulnerable to sleep disturbances, and the disruption caused by daylight saving time may worsen their symptoms.
These individuals often have disrupted sleep-wake cycles due to cognitive impairment, leading to irregular sleep patterns and daytime sleepiness.
The relationship between daylight saving time and sleep disturbances in people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is particularly concerning, as sleep plays a vital role in cognitive function and memory consolidation. Sleep disturbances can exacerbate the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, making it more difficult for individuals to perform daily activities and maintain independence.
CNN: What can we do for people most at risk?
Dasghubata: I would say just be aware of these things. Of course, when your sleep is poor in quality and quantity, it can expose you to accidents like falls, and we would never want anyone to fall.
CNN: How can we protect ourselves from the effects of time changes?
Dasghubata: This will be slowly adjusting your schedule, and doing things that may help with this transformation. Exercise, mornings outside, and light therapy can be helpful strategies during the fall and winter.
I think it’s also very important that people who specifically get migraines, and unfortunately that’s one of their triggers, have their medication ready twice a year.
So if you notice that you have a headache that gets worse, does not stop, and the usual medications do not relieve the pain, go immediately to your health care provider.
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