Sleep specialist explains what lawmakers got wrong with permanent daylight saving time bill
Updated: 11:54 AM EDT Mar 19, 2022
RHONDELLA: THIS WEEK, THE SENATE PASSED THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT. THE BILL CO-SPONSOREBYD MASSACHUSETTS SENATOR ED MARKEY MEANS WE WON’T HAVE TO RESET OUR CLOCKS TWICE A YEAR. WHILE SLEEP EXPERTS APPLAUD THE IDEA, MOST SAY LAWMAKERS MADE ONE MAJOR ERROR. JENNIFER: JOINING US NOW IS DR. ANNE MARIE MORSE, A BODAR CERTIFIED SLEEP SPECIALIST AND A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE’S PUBLIC AWARENESS ADVISORY COMMITT.EE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. SO, THE BILL WAS SOLD AS A WAY TO KEEP DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME PERMANENT, SO FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DID LAWMAKERS GET WRG? >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME THIS MORNING. THE FIRST THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS LAWMAKERS FAILED TO RECOGNIZE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IS NOT OPTIMAL RFO OUR CIRCADIAN PATTERNS. THE REAL PUSH WE WOULD LIKE IS REQUESTING FOR US TO STAY IN STANDARD TIME. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IS GOING TO GIVE TOO MUCH EXPOSURE TO LIGHT AT THE END OF ETH DAY AND DARKNESS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY, CAUSING A MAJOR MISALIGNMENT WITH OUR NATURAL RHYTHMS. RHONDEA:LL YOUR ASSOCIATNIO NOTED THAT THE CHRONIC EFFECTS OF PERMANENT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME HAVE NOT BEEN WELL STUDIED, BUT WHAT DOES THE RESEARCHOU Y DO HAVE SAY ABOUT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT? >> THE RESEARCH WE HAVE IS CLEAYRL DEMONSTRATING WHEN WE HAVE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IS WE SEE AN INCREEAS IN A LOT OF ADVERSE EFFECTS. WE SEE A 6% INCREASE IN MOTOR VEHICLE FATALITIES . WE SEE AN IRENCASE IN ADVERSE HEALTH OUTCOMES, INCLUDING HEART ATTACK AND STROKE. A LOOFT US NCA CLEARLY IDENTIFIED WITH AN OVERALL FEELINGF O TIREDNESS AND EXHAUSTION BECAUSE OF THIS RAPID CHANGE IN OUR BODY ALIGNMENT WITH CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. JENNIFER: SLEEP ISN’T THE ONLY CONCERN. THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES. WHILE WE WOULD HAVE MORE DAYLIGHT IN THE TEAFRNOONS, IT WILL BE DARK WHEN KIDS GO TO SCHOOL. THAT COULD BE PROBLEMATIC. >> 1%.00 OUR BODY DEPENDS ON THE LIGHT SIGNALS TO TELL US WHEN WE SHOULD BE AWAKE AND WHEN WE SHOULD BE SLEEPING. ONE OF THE THINGS WE IDENFYTI AND KIDS THAT GO TSCO HOOL IS A MAJORITY OF THEM ARE SUFFERING FROM SLEEP ISSUES. ISTH WOULD ONLY FURTHER EXAGGERATE THOSE ISSUES. KIDS WLDOU BE GETTING THE SIGNAL OF FEELING SLEEPY IN THE MORNING BECAUSE THEY ARE EXPOSED TO SO MUCH DARKNESS. JENNIF:ER AREOU Y WORRIED ABOUT THE FACT THAT IN THE SUMMERTIME THE SUN WOULD BE COMING UP AT 4:00 IN THE MORNING? >> 100%. WE EXPECT WHEN WE HAVE THESE CHANGES INDIVIDUALS WILL EXPERIENCE A SHIFT IN THEIR DAY-NIGHT RHYTHM. THAT WOULD NOT BE ALIGNED WITH WHAT TIRHE BODY IS SUPPOSED TO BE EXPERIENCING. IT IS PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE CELL IN OUR BODY HAS A SPECIFIC CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. WHEN WE EXPOSE OURSELVES TO A CIRCADIAN PATTERN THAIST DIFFERENT TO THAT, IT IS GOING TO MAKE IT MORE LIKELY FOR US TO EXPERI
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Sleep specialist explains what lawmakers got wrong with permanent daylight saving time bill
Updated: 11:54 AM EDT Mar 19, 2022
Sen. Ed Markey, of Massachusetts, co-sponsored the Sunshine Protection Act that passed the Senate and would make daylight saving time year-round.
Sen. Ed Markey, of Massachusetts, co-sponsored the Sunshine Protection Act that passed the Senate and would make daylight saving time year-round.
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