I'm Sorry, The Clocks Going Back Does What To Our Health?

If you’re shuffling around bleary-eyed, fumbling for the kettle — you’re in excellent company. 

The clocks going back always seem to put a spanner in the works. One more hour in bed, one hour less in bed, it’s relentless. And, it’s affecting our health. So, why do we do it?

Why do we put the clocks back?

In 1784, American politician and inventor Benjamin Franklin suggested that daylight saving could help save on candles. But it was William Willett (aka Chris Martin’s great, great grandfather — yes, seriously), who brought the idea to the UK upon publishing ‘The Waste of Daylight’ in 1907 which encouraged people to wake up earlier.

Willett has a lot to answer for, as it was his opinion that we wasted the day by sleeping it away while the sun shone. It’s said that he rather liked golf, and didn’t want his precious playing time cut short. He also argued that it would save fuel during the war. 

And so, parliament passed the Summer Time Act in 1916, ironically, a year after Willett died.

In the present day, we’re still shifting time to help us carpe diem the life out of what little sunlight there is, having turned the clocks back on 29 October, to turn the clocks forward an hour on Sunday, 31 March 2024, marking the beginning of British Summer Time.

How does daylight saving impact our health?

Our bodies run on a 24-hour cycle known as the circadian rhythm, which is responsible for rousing us out of our sleep, energising us during the day and winding us down to sleep. Disrupting it can lead to sleep disturbances, fatigue, general lack of energy and, for people with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome — or PCOS, this can be felt more acutely.

The lack of light in wintertime can also impact our body’s ability to absorb vitamin D. We need vitamin D and it helps our body to absorb calcium, one of the main building blocks for strong bones. But, it also helps us feel better. 

A lack of vitamin D can cause a range of troubling mental health symptoms. From fatigue and brain fog to suicide ideation and depression. So, when that sun goes away early and you’re left feeling a bit blue, know that this could mean you’re lacking in some good old vitamin D.

Perhaps more alarmingly, Insider reported that daylight savings is a killer, because of research linking losing an hour of sleep with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. The same research tells us that, in America, there is a 21% drop in the number of heart attacks on the following Tuesday after returning to standard time in the fall when we gain an hour back.

So, there you have it. Fiddling about with the clocks is nothing but trouble for our tickers, our stress levels and our ability to catch enough shut-eye to see us through the day. All because, apparently, someone wanted to play golf longer. Give me strength.