Let’s talk daylight saving time. Seriously, what exactly are we “saving”? It’s time to pick one time system and stick with it—permanently.
Whether it’s standard time or daylight saving, the flip-flopping needs to end.
Daylight Saving Time: Pick One and Stick With It
Every spring and fall, millions of Americans are forced to shift their biological clocks by one hour, disrupting circadian rhythms, metabolism, mental health, and productivity.
We’re not robots; our bodies don’t care what Congress says about the clocks. The human body thrives on consistency—our circadian rhythms depend on stable sleep-wake cycles.
Messing with this system twice a year is like intentionally driving your car over potholes: unnecessary, damaging, and frustratingly avoidable.
Let’s cut through the noise and address why this seemingly minor inconvenience is, in fact, a huge deal from a wellness perspective.
Wellness Matters: Your Internal Clock Is Not a Toy
Your circadian rhythm isn’t something to toy with. It regulates sleep, mood, hormones, and even your immune system. Shifting your clock forward or backward by an hour doesn’t just mess up your morning routine; it throws your entire physiological rhythm out of alignment.
This disruption triggers stress responses, increases inflammation, and can push vulnerable individuals closer to burnout or exacerbate underlying psychiatric conditions.
As someone who works closely with ADHD, burnout, and anxiety cases, trust me when I say stability is key. Our brains crave routine. We function best when our circadian rhythms—our internal biological clocks—are aligned with predictable environmental cues, particularly sunlight.
So, from a wellness standpoint, daylight saving time is a clear disruption, heightening anxiety levels and undermining emotional stability.
Metabolic Meltdown: How DST Hijacks Your Glucose Control
Here’s something less talked about: daylight saving changes impact your metabolism—specifically glucose metabolism—in ways that are far more significant than most realize. (This goes hand in hand with discussions on metabolic psychiatry.)
Our circadian rhythm is directly tied to our metabolism. When you abruptly shift your schedule by even an hour, you’re throwing a wrench into a finely-tuned metabolic system.
Multiple studies show that just a one-hour shift can spike insulin resistance temporarily, disrupting glucose regulation. This metabolic chaos translates into increased hunger, cravings, fatigue, and even difficulty losing body fat.
For individuals already struggling with metabolic syndrome or diabetes, daylight saving time changes aren’t just annoying—they’re potentially harmful.
This isn’t speculative fluff—it’s biochemistry. When glucose metabolism is disrupted, your risk for metabolic disorders increases. Even for a healthy person, this disruption is needless stress on your body.
Heart Attacks Go Up—Yes, Really
You might think I’m exaggerating, but the data speaks for itself.
Heart attacks consistently spike the Monday after daylight saving time begins. Researchers suspect that disrupting circadian rhythms, combined with sleep loss, puts extra strain on cardiovascular health.
Even one lost hour of sleep translates into measurable stress, leading to inflammation, elevated cortisol levels, and increased blood pressure.
In fact, research published in The New England Journal of Medicine more than a decade ago, found a significant increase in acute myocardial infarctions in the week following the shift to daylight saving. It’s not just about feeling groggy on Monday morning; it’s about literally increasing people’s risk of sudden death.
Anxiety and Depression: Why Are We Making It Worse?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) already affects millions of Americans annually. The sudden time shifts make these mood fluctuations more severe. Anxiety symptoms notably rise after the clock change, particularly in patients already prone to mood disorders.
It’s disorienting, unsettling, and can exacerbate existing vulnerabilities.
When we mess with our sleep schedules—even slightly—stress hormones like cortisol elevate, making us more prone to anxiety and depressive episodes. For people already on the edge of burnout or struggling with mood disorders, this unnecessary stressor is the last thing they need.
From a psychiatric perspective, I encourage my patients to create predictable routines, prioritize sleep hygiene, and embrace the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
This means focusing on what’s in your control—like daily routines and sleep practices—and accepting what’s out of your control—like seasonal changes in sunlight.
But daylight saving time? That’s entirely within our control.
It’s an artificial disruption that we collectively inflict upon ourselves every year, and it’s time to stop.
Productivity Loss: How Much Time and Money Are We Losing?
Even if you somehow shrug off the health implications, consider this: the productivity loss around daylight saving time isn’t negligible. Studies estimate billions of dollars in economic losses from reduced productivity, workplace errors, and increased accidents.
Companies lose money, individuals lose productivity, and everyone feels off their game.
Our bodies simply aren’t designed to adapt overnight to abrupt schedule shifts. Productivity experts know this. Corporate wellness specialists know this.
Yet year after year, we continue this self-sabotage under the guise of saving daylight. It’s nonsense.
Metabolic Chaos: Blood Sugar Doesn’t Lie
Returning to the metabolic impact, let’s get deeper into glucose disruption. Sudden changes in sleep patterns negatively affect insulin sensitivity, meaning your body has to work harder to regulate blood sugar.
This disruption cascades into increased hunger, cravings for sugary or processed foods, and weight fluctuations. Over time, chronic disruptions to circadian rhythms have been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
As someone personally dedicated to longevity, optimal health, and metabolic wellness—I follow a low-glycemic, high-protein, high-fat, and complex carbohydrate diet for longevity—I see zero reason why we would knowingly jeopardize our metabolic health twice per year.
Sunlight and Sleep: Your Natural Neurotransmitter Boosters
Let’s talk solutions. Sleep, sunlight, exercise, and boredom are your natural neurotransmitter allies. Quality sleep, adequate sunlight exposure, consistent routines, and physical activity all strengthen your body’s internal clock.
Supplements like magnesium glycinate, glycine, taurine, and L-theanine can assist sleep quality and circadian stability.
Yet, none of these healthy habits matter if we’re disrupting our internal clocks artificially every six months.
It’s Time for Common Sense Legislation—Pick One and Be Done
Look, I’m not interested in debating daylight saving versus standard time endlessly. There’s merit to arguments on both sides. More daylight in the evenings during summer has benefits—vitamin D production, mental health improvements from more sun exposure, and increased physical activity.
But sticking with standard time aligns closer with our innate circadian biology, supporting stable sleep and metabolic patterns.
Frankly, the health benefits of either choice are secondary to the critical need for consistency.
Reality Check: Congress, Do Your Job
Here’s the blunt truth—changing the clock is an absurd legacy practice that serves no real purpose in the modern era. It’s a political relic that survives purely because no one bothers to stop it.
Congress debates meaningless distractions endlessly while ignoring a real issue affecting millions every year. Choosing one consistent time standard is common-sense legislation that literally everyone agrees on, yet it never happens. Why?
Because inertia is easier than leadership. Politicians prefer symbolic gestures over fixing solvable problems.
We don’t need career politicians who grandstand about problems they refuse to fix—we need principled leadership willing to make real changes.
Take Action Today: Prioritize Your Health and Demand Change
While we wait for Congress to catch up to common sense, you don’t have to be a victim of their inaction. Protect your circadian rhythm and metabolic health right now:
• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time daily, even on weekends.
• Use sunlight strategically. Get natural morning sunlight to help reset your internal clock.
• Exercise regularly. Incorporate daily movement, particularly in the morning, to reinforce your circadian alignment.
• Consider supplements. Magnesium glycinate, taurine, glycine, and L-theanine can help mitigate anxiety and enhance sleep quality during clock changes.
• Control your environment. Reduce artificial blue light exposure before bedtime with blue-light-blocking glasses or screen filters.
But don’t stop there. It’s time to end the outdated practice of changing clocks entirely. Contact your representatives, share this article, and spread the word in your community: Demand one consistent time standard for good.
Check out my guide to mastering sleep for more details on how to get the most out of the most important activity you do: sleeping.
Your health, longevity, and productivity depend on it.
Ready to optimize your health and wellness from an integrative perspective?
Schedule a consultation with me today, and let’s build the foundation for a healthier, longer life—no matter what time politicians think it is.