Sick of dreading the time change where you lose that extra hour of sleep? Colorado lawmakers might just end time change once and for all.
Going to work Monday morning is hard enough after a great weekend. Take an hour away from precious sleep time and it's a recipe for disaster. You might have noticed that the Starbucks line was a little longer this morning, or the bags under your eyes are more noticeable. Many people dread this Monday, but thanks to Colorado lawmakers you might not have to anymore.
Today a bill will be introduced in the Colorado legislature that will start the process to end time change once and for all. Why are they making this change now? Bill sponsor Representative Dan Pabon states:
We’ve had this practice in our system for almost 100 years. It’s served its time and place to save energy, but now with the advent of efficiency and solar panels and things they didn’t have 100 years ago, let’s keep our clocks on one time”
Losing an hour of sleep can do more damage than just a tired appearance and slow Monday. According to a study performed by the American Academy of Neurology in 2016, the overall rate for strokes was 8 percent higher in the two days following daylight savings. Studies showed that cancer victims were 25 percent more likely to have a stroke, and people 65 and over were 20 percent more likely to have a stroke. The author of the study, Dr. Jori Ruuskanen, states "stroke risk is highest in the morning hours".
Dr. Jori Ruuskanen explains:
Previous studies have also shown that the disruption of the circadian clock due to other reasons (e.g. due to rotating shift work) and sleep fragmentation are associated with an increased risk of stroke. However, we did not know whether stroke risk is affected by DST transitions. What is common in these situations is the disturbed sleep cycle, while the immediate mechanisms for the increased risk are unknown at the moment."
Changing up your sleeping schedule can have more of an effect on your body than you think. Thanks to Dr. Jori, you might need to excuse yourself from work just in case something serious happens. Your boss might not like you, but your body will.
