NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Other than simply being annoying, switching to daylight saving time every year is ruining our brains, according to a new study.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University say daylight saving time reduces the amount of bright morning light received by the body, which is needed to synchronize our biological clocks, StudyFinds.com reports.
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"People think the one-hour transition is no big deal, that they can get over this in a day, but what they don't realize is their biological clock is out of sync," says Dr. Beth Ann Malow of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The study shows that the misalignment of our body clocks occurs for eight months out of the year, not just the one-hour change we deal with twice a year.
"We are talking about profound impacts on the biological clock, which is a structure rooted in the brain. It impacts brain functions such as energy levels and alertness," adds Malow.
Even worse, not receiving enough morning light is associated with increase risk of heart attacks and strokes, and has been linked to partial sleep deprivation.
The study also says certain children with autism have even bigger struggles adjusting to the time changes.