I came across an interesting article in the October 2009 of “Bottom Line Personal.”
The article talked about how switching away from daylight’s saving time can be dangerous to your health. The switch could trigger women’s heart attack as well as men. In a nutshell, here is why.
“Heart Attack Alert: Switching Away from Daylight Saving Time Can Be Danergous to Your Health” . The magazine interviewed Michael Terman, PhD who has a long list of credential including professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University and director of clinical chronbiology at New York State Psychiatric Institure.
We all know that on Sunday, November 1, you fall back one hour and one March the 14th, 2010 you spring forward one hour. Researchers have looked at the rate of heart attacks around the time switches and found that in the spring there was a 5-10% increase in heart attacks during the 3 days after the switch to DST. In the fall, there was a significant spike heart attacks on the Monday after the switch to ST.
Why? Well, researchers theorized that the sleep disruptions may hurt the heart by increasing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which speeds heart rate and by increasing the level cytokines, immune cells that spark inflammation and damage arteries.
How to protect our heart health? Dr. Terman recommends the following:
-Gradually set the alarm later. For instance in the fall, allow your circadian clock to drift one hour later during the week or so after the switch. For example, if you normally wake up at 7:00 Am, set the alarm for 6:00 AM ST on Sunday morning of the switch. Then gradually set the alarm 10 mintues later each day until you reach 7:00 AM. In the spring, just reverse it.
-Exercise daily. This stabilizes the circadian rhythm
-Eat regular meals
-Take melatonin the right way. Take a very small amount-0.25 mg 5 hours before your bedtime the week before DST. Your circadian clock will sense that nightime has begun and will adjust itself towards earlier sleep onset.
-Use a dawn simulator. You can adjust your circadian rhythm using this device that plugs into your light fixture and “simulates” the outdoor transistion from a starlight level of light to sunrise level of light. The device allows you to gradually move “dawn” later during the week or so in the fall and later in the day duirn the week or so switch to DST. This can be ordered at http://www.cet.org. The cost is $215
This was a very interesting article. To read it in its entirety, you can go to http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com and look for the October 2009 issue.
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve to Have A Healthy Heart” newsletter.
To Your Success,
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
SKype: Monique371
mentormonique@gmail.com
