This weekend, it’s time to set the clocks ahead! Springing forward into Daylight Savings Time requires some adjustment for all of us. But it has a particularly negative impact on seniors.
Sleep medicine specialists have found that the change in time to more daylight presents seniors with serious sleep disruptions. They also have detected a rise in heart disease, more driving accidents, and increased daytime drowsiness.
One problem is that seniors now get up an hour earlier when they already have been early risers during Standard Time. The increased light exposure results in an onset of sleep later in the evening and, thus, less sleep overall.
Our body’s internal clock follows circadian rhythms that tell us when to get up and when to go to bed. These rhythms follow a 24-hour cycle dependent on light exposure.
The time change affects the release of hormones that control our hunger and mood. An increase in ghrelin, which controls hunger, results in an increased appetite. The production of more serotonin leads to mood elevation. More light suppresses melatonin, a hormone released in response to darkness that leads to sleep.
We Want You to Enjoy Your Retirement
Here at Council of Seniors, we’re working tirelessly to get Congress to pass The SAVE Benefits Act. This bill is needed to make up for past inadequate Social Security cost of living adjustments (COLAs). The sum of $581 has been withheld from seniors, and it’s time for this money to be returned.
Please sign our petition right away to show your support.
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