How Daylight Saving Impacts Your Wellness (And What to Do About It)

Daylight savings time has undergone many changes over the last century. Currently, the United States begins DST by adding one hour in mid March and ends DST by removing one hour in early November (Clark and Cunningham). There have been some concerns about the impacts of DST on health. Understanding these effects and learning how to mitigate them can help you prepare for the upcoming time change.

Just after the spring time change, there is an increased risk for heart attacks and accidents. These risks are largely due to inadequate sleep. In the fall, there is a reduction in these risks immediately following the time shift, but this shift increases the risk for seasonal affective disorder (Buckle and Kornberg). Finding ways to adapt to the time change can help you reduce these risks and support overall wellness.

The easiest way to undergo a time shift is to slowly shift your circadian rhythm over the course of several days until you reach the new wake up and bed times. Try shifting your schedule by 15 minutes each day over the course of 4 days leading up to the time change. Eating a well balanced breakfast within an hour of waking and getting morning sunlight can help your body adapt to the new schedule more quickly. 

For personalized health insights, lifestyle tips, and functional lab interpretations, schedule an appointment with Renewed Hope Nutrition.

References

Buckle, Anne, and Sara Kornberg. “Is Daylight Saving Time Bad for Your Health?” timeanddate.com, https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/daylight-saving-health.html. Accessed 9 Sept. 2026. 

Clark, Corrie E., and Lynn J. Cunningham. Daylight Saving Time (DST). Congressional Research Service, 30 Sept. 2020. Congress.gov, https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R45208/R45208.8.pdf.