Health Benefits To Daylight Saving Time? Doctors Say Yes
This past weekend we all, some of us begrudgingly, moved our clocks forward one hour as most of the nation made the switch from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time. Personally, I have felt jet lagged since Sunday just as a lot of you have felt.
I am not a fan of Daylight Saving Time because I go to bed really early so I like it to be dark when I am going to sleep. I know I am selfish that way. However, a lot of you enjoy the extra daylight after your workday. That extra time in the sunlight is why many health care professionals say Daylight Saving Time can be considered a health benefit.
We as a species were meant to be out in the sunlight. The sun's rays help our bodies build vitamin D. Vitamin D has been shown to be very important in bone health, supporting our immune system, and even helping us maintain a healthy weight.
The sun's light also has been shown to aid in lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and improving our mental health too. So there are benefits to have the extra hours spent in the sun.
What about skin cancer and sunburn? Those are factors that should be considered but since most of us would spend the extra outside time later in the day the most dangerous effects of sun exposure are minimized by the position of the sun in the sky.
Personally, I think it would be simpler to adjust our work schedules around daylight hours. Folks in agriculture and ranching have been doing that for years and they have no reason to even look at a clock.
As far as the change to Daylight Saving Time goes, maybe I am just cranky because of sleep deprivation.