Health risks associated with daylight saving time
LAST MONTH. THAT WAS HIGHER THAN ECONOMISTS HAD EXPECTED. >>> GET READY TO LOSE AN HOUR OF SLEEP THIS WEEKEND. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS ON SUNDAY MARCH 12th. THAT MEANS MOST AMERICANS WILL NEED TO SET THEIR CLOCKS ONE HOUR AHEAD. IT STARTED IN THE 1960s AS A WAY TO SAVE ENERGY BECAUSE THE DAYS GET LONGER IN THE WARMER MONTHS. BUT SOME SPECIALISTS ARGUE THE CHANGE CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON YOUR HEALTH. WE’RE JOINED BY DR. BETH ANNE MALLOW WHO’S A PROFESSOR OF NEUROLOGY AND PEDIATRICS. DOCTOR THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. IN A SAN FRANCISCO
NEWSPAPER YOU WRITE THERE ARE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH DAYLIGHT SAVINGS. >>> IT’S WORK THAT MANY OF US HAVE DONE. WHAT WE SEE IS WHEN WE MOVE OUR CLOCKS AHEAD THERE’S A JOLT TO THE SYSTEM. IT CAN AFFECT NOT JUST HOW WE FEEL IN TERMS OF BEING TIRED AND SLEEPY IN LOSING THAT HOUR OF SLEEP. BUT IT CAN ALSO AFFECT THE MORNING COMMUTE. THERE WILL BE MORE TRAFFIC NEXT WEEK. >> IS THERE A BENEFIT TO SUNSHINE? >> YES, EXPERTS PRETTY UNANIMOUSLY FEEL THE MORNING LIGHT IS THE HEALTHIER CHOICE FOR US. STANDARD TIME IS THE HEALTHIER CHOICE.
THAT’S BECAUSE MORNING LIGHT WAKES US UP, GETS US GOING. IT INTERNALIZES OUR RHYTHM WITH WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD. IT ALIGNS US IN THAT WAY. THAT HELPS OUR MOOD, IT
AND FORTH WHICH I THINK MOST OF US ARE. >> 100%. PEOPLE ARE SO CRANKY WITH THE CHANGE. I GET IT. >> ABSOLUTELY. NOW I WANT TO GET RID WITH IT TOO. I THINK THAT’S WHAT MANY OF US AGREE. WE WANT TO STOP GOING BACK AND FORTH. I THINK THE CHALLENGE FOR OUR COUNTRY IS THE TRADE OFF, RIGHT. PEOPLE WANT THE DARK. I’M SORRY THEY WANT THE LIGHTER AFTERNOON AND EVINGS. EVENINGS. BUT THAT LIGHT IN THE EVENING CAN COME TO US AT A PRICE. WE BELIEVE AS MEDICAL EXPERTS THAT HAVING THE LIGHT IN THE MORNING IS
THE HEALTHIEST CHOICE FOR US. >> YOU’VE TESTIFIED TO CONGRESS, SO I’M GOING TO ASK YOU TO PREDICT WHAT’S AHEAD. COULD YOU SEE A SCENARIO WHERE EACH STATE GOES ITS OWN WAY LIKE HAWAII AND ARIZONA WHO DON’T OBSERVE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS. >> YOU CAN OPT OUT OF BEING ON DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME. AND ADOPT STANDARD TIME AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT ARIZONA AND HAWAII DID. I THINK THEY’RE REALLY HAPPY WITH IT BECAUSE IT’S SUPER HOT RIGHT IN ARIZONA AND HAWAII. AND THEY DON’T WANT THAT AFTERNOON HEAT. THEY PREFER TO PLAY GOLF IN THE MORNING AND DO THOSE THINGS LIKE
THAT. I THINK IT REALLY SHOULD BE A STATE CHOICE OR REGION CHOICE. BECAUSE I THINK IT WORKS BEST FOR REGIONS, REGIONS OF STATES TO DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. I THINK THAT IT’S VERY WISE TO ALLOW STATES TO OPT OUT. AND THERE ARE JUST SOME STATES THAT WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY DARK FOR EXAMPLE. MINNESOTA, AND MICHIGAN, AND THERE’S OTHER STATES THAT ARE ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF OUR TIME ZONES. AND SOMETIMES IT’S NOT EVEN LIGHT IN THE MORNING UNTIL 8:00 IN THE MORNING IN JANUARY. AND IF WE WENT TO PERMANENT DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, IT
WOULD BE CLOSE TO 9:00 WHERE WE WOULD SEE SUNLIGHT AND THINK ABOUT THE KID TRYING TO GO TO SCHOOL IN THE DARK. WE ACTUALLY TRIED DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IN 1974. WE TRIED PERMANENT DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME AND IT REALLY WAS NOT POPULAR AND IT WAS REPEALED EARLY. IN FLORIDA THERE WERE SOME FATALITIES. SO KIDS WERE GOING TO SCHOOL IN THE DARK. AND IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS. AND THEY’RE PARENTS BASICALLY PUSHED FOR IT TO BE REPEALED EARLY AND IT WAS. SO I WOULD HATE TO SEE, OUR COUNTRY MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN. >> WOW, THIS IS A SUBJECT
WE CAN ALL IDENTIFY WITH. DR.BETH ANNE MALLOWMENT THAN
