Daylight Savings Time affects brain health

This seems like a good place to ask something I’ve wondered about - what is the difference between Daylight Savings time adjustment, and crossing a time zone?

If you are adversely affected by DST adjustments, do you find the same problems when you cross into a different time zone?

If you do, is it enough to stop you crossing into a different time zone, or do you put up with it anyway? Do you have strategies when crossing into a different time zone, and do they also work with DST?

If you don’t notice any problems in a different time zone, but you do with DST, what do you think is the difference between them?


It’s not something I can easily judge for myself because our nearest different time zone is 3 hours difference (Australia) and it also takes 3 hours to get there; and so I would love to hear the experiences of people who drive across a border to a one hour different time.

Nothing is the difference and every year I wonder if there are people simply incapable of traveling across the country because one hour is just too much to bear.

What I do wish, though, is that we didn't have to do it twice a year because I particularly hate driving into the sun (my eyes! And it's dangerous) and you have to go through that FOUR times a year instead of two, as it would be if we never switched.

I would prefer it just get left at DST so it stays light later. It gives me more time to get a walk in before having to leave for work.

It needs Federal approval to be in Daylight Savings time permanently. The State can pass a bill, but it still needs Washington's approval. As for staying in Standard time permanently, I thought that did not need Federal approval. Arizona and Hawaii do not change their clocks.


So here is what I think is the difference for me. Moving the clock is a "permanent" thing. Your body clock does not get to revert back to its "normal" time for 4-6 months. After a time change, I usually have to go to work on Monday and sit at a desk for 8 hours, staring at a computer. I get very tired the first week after we move the clocks ahead. I can't take a nap or do something outdoorsy in the middle of the day. People say go to bed an hour earlier, but tell my body clock that. It doesn't always follow the man-made clock. And I am a night owl that likes to stay up late. And then the sun rises an hour later, so the 6AM sun won't be hitting my face to wake me up until 7AM. So, yeah, I feel it when we move the clocks up even if it's only an hour.

When I go across time zones, it is usually for travel and fun, so time doesn't matter as much. I am constantly doing something and don't feel tired until I go to bed. Going across time zones does not stop me from traveling. I always have a harder time when I come home readjusting because I am no longer having "fun" and doing lots of things.

Every body is different and reacts to time changed differently.

California voted to stay on daylight savings not standard time. I think we should stay on standard time. It’s a pain in the neck and takes several weeks to get used to.

I understand.  I am saying, I bet if Oregon stayed on standard time that California would do the same.  

Crossing one or even two time zones for a week isn’t too bad, usually because it’s for a vacation where it matters less what time you go to bed or when you get up. Especially for me, because if I’m traveling I generally don’t have dogs with me and they will wake me up in the morning whether I’m ready to roll out of bed or not. If I’m in a hotel room with room darkening curtains or blinds, I can sleep as long as I want. At home, not so much.

All the stupid switching does mess me up every time, sometimes for as much as two weeks in either direction, so I hate it. I wouldn’t really care too much which one was picked as long as I wouldn’t have to keep switching. Since it seems like standard time is most aligned with our natural circadian rhythms, that would probably be the best choice. I don’t really need it to be light outside until almost 10 pm in the summer.

I hate the time change and hate getting up when it's dark outside. I'd rather stay on standard time as it throws my schedule and the dog's waking schedule off.

This is the way I feel too.  I'm in Michigan so at the very western edge of the Eastern Time Zone.  Plus, north, of course.  Right now, the sun is coming up around 7 am, which is a huge improvement from deep winter when it can be after 8:30.  After this weekend, it will be pushed to 8 am again.  I am a morning person, I would rather have daylight at 6 am to walk my neighborhood than at 8 pm.  Plus in the thick of summer, it is light out here until almost 10 pm.  We go to bed between 8-9 pm.  I couldn't care less about having daylight at 9 pm.  I want daylight to begin my day, not end it.  We are already a sleep deprived society, DST makes it worse.  Just go to bed, people. LOL!  Wake up an hour earlier and enjoy your daylight in the morning. Hahaha... (Please before I get handslapped, I do recognize that not everyone's internal clock works the same.  I am stating what is *my* preference and that is daylight in the morning.)

For us - it just makes for a much longer work day. I would much prefer to stay on standard time. DH works until it is dark out, not what the clock says.

Times zones were created to balance the sunrise times. It regulates day/night across the globe. I went to Florida last month, and I woke up with the sun usually, so I woke up when the sun was rising. The time difference really didn't affect me that much.

Sunset times change with the season, but it would be 1 hour difference between staying on standard time vs. daylight savings time. I think I get what you mean though? As the spring and summer days get longer, the sun is up longer. The sun would set only 1 hour earlier on the clock with standard time, not 4-5 hours. The sun sets tonight about 6:17 and next week that will be 7:25 - but that is only a difference of 8 minutes on our circadian clock. The longest day is June 20, and that sunset will be 8:59 DST... taking into account time change, that would be 7:59 standard. So the sun sets only 1 hour and 42 minutes later on June 20 than it will tonight (although - since times changes it would appear to be 2 hours and 42 minutes on a physical clock, but it's only 1:42 on our circadian clock. -- my times are reported at Central Time.

Also note - sunset doesn't mean it's dark by any stretch  The further north of the equator, the later true night comes.  

This is me as well, my circadian rhythm is off, and easily changed in ways that don’t benefit me. 

What does affect me is more sunlight during my waking hours. Yuck. I’m much more active in the winter than I am the summer. 

If we stayed on daylight time, it would be dark until 9am in the winter. If we stayed on standard time, we would lose those long summer nights after work in favor of it being light out at 5am, when most people are still trying to sleep.

My dog wakes me up 2 hours before work and I'm afraid it will be even worse with the change. 

These are the exact words I use to describe it all the time! Every blind is our house is closed 24/7. Haven’t decided if we’re doing curtains for our bedroom, if we do they’ll be blackout. Until then? A weighted sleep mask is my savior, there is one in my suitcase at all times. 

My main objection to DST is returning to darkness at 6:30 am which is when I drive to work. Fortunately I have a short commute, but driving in the dark is anxiety-provoking for me and I avoid it whenever I can. I was just getting used to it being light enough to see on my am commute, now it will be dark for a month or so. I do like the lighter evenings with DST.