The first week following Daylight Saving Time can trigger several adverse health issues and increase the frequency of traffic crashes.
Losing an hour of sleep can cause an elevated risk of heart attack, stroke and increased stress.
Dr. Aishah Raffee is a geriatrician at Trinity Health. She says people are often more fatigued following Daylight Saving Time, which is linked to a 6% increase in vehicle crashes. She adds older adults tend to experience the time change the hardest.
“So, even these small disruptions really do matter for those older adult patients that suffer from dementia or depression or cardiovascular disease. Older adults need to take even more care.”
Dr. Raffee says going to bed a little earlier each night and having a cup of coffee or tea after waking up will help people adjust to the time change.
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