Daylight Saving Time or Daylight Savings Time can cause very similar effects on your body and mind as Jet Lag. On the second Sunday in March in (most) of the USA, we advance the time on our clocks by an hour. Shifting clocks an hour can’t change things that much, right? Actually, it does. In our sleep-deprived society, every minute counts.
Even though the clocks only change by an hour during Daylight Savings Time, you’ll likely notice the effects. This is especially true when ‘Springing Forward’, when people lose an hour of the day which is often subtracted from sleeping time. For those who are already sleep-deprived, giving up just one hour of shuteye can negatively impact how you feel and function.
Shifting our sleep patterns on the weekend is a significant interruption to our natural cycle. These effects can be compared to jet lag. They both create a misalignment between our internal circadian rhythms– which serves as the body’s master clock telling us when to wake up, eat or sleep. In turn, this causes feelings of fatigue and disorientation along with many other potential symptoms. These changes can make it harder to get going in the morning and perhaps more difficult to turn in at your usual hour.
The effect is largest among full-time employees. These workers must instantaneously shift their work schedule to a time that’s in disagreement with their body’s biological rhythms. I, for one, would not want to be driving next to that group of people on the freeway. A 2001 study looking at 21 years worth of data on traffic accidents found a significant increase in accidents occurs during the day after the “spring ahead” time change.
Did you know that Daylight Savings Time is not observed nationwide? For example, Arizona skips DST every spring. Learn more fun facts about Daylight Saving Time here.
Daylight Saving can also have an impact on workplace and classroom productivity. When your sleep schedule is disrupted it can cause a lack of motivation and concentration. A 2012 study found a dramatic increase in cyberloafing– using the Internet at work for non-work-related purposes. Researchers found that people search for 3.1 percent more entertainment-related sites on the Monday after the Daylight Savings switch compared to the Monday before. This may pale in comparison to the number of people that take a sick day on the Monday following the Super Bowl, but it is still statistically relevant.
Within a few days, you should be able to adjust to the new time schedule naturally. If you are able to plan ahead, it helps to prepare for the loss of sleep by going to bed 15 to 20 minutes earlier than usual each night leading up to the time change. For most people, that’s not an easy task. Fortunately, FLY GUM™ is a great way to beat jet lag symptoms that Daylight Savings Time can cause. With 80 mg of Natural Caffeine (derived from green coffee beans) plus B-Vitamins on the first chew, FLY GUM™ lets you take control of that groggy, exhausted feeling and helps you get through the day.
For those of you who experience the jet lag feeling of Daylight Savings and find yourselves struggling to get through those first couple of days, FLY GUM™ has your back.
Not traveling but dreading the lost hour of sleep? FLY GUM™ beats Jet Lag AND Daylight Saving Time.Try FLY GUM™ instead of an additional cup of coffee and see how it makes you feel. The initial burst can be intense, but after 3 to 17 seconds the xylitol and spearmint flavor kick in.
