(WWJ) Love it or hate it, we spring forward this weekend and lose an hour of sleep. It could be deadly.
Daylight Saving Time officially begins at 2 a.m. Sunday. Many people will move their clocks ahead one hour before going to bed on Saturday night.
"I think it's ridiculous actually," Kurt Warner from Macomb County told WWJ's Tim Pamplin. "Why change it, the children don't like it either."
The change could have an impact on your heart.
"There have been studies in the past that have shown that there might be an increase in incidents of cardiac events like a heart attack or something like that often taht Monday after the daylight transition every March," Dr. Akhil Gulati, a cardiologist with Corewell Health told WWJ's Beth Fisher.
He says it speaks to a wider issue focus on sleep and the circadian rhythm interact with the heart. He says it's recommended that we sleep 7 to 9 hours each night.
The American Heart Association says a study of hospital admissions across the state of Michigan showed a 24% increase in heart attacks on the Monday following the switch to daylight saving time.
In a study from Finland, researchers found that the overall rate of ischemic stroke was 8% percent higher during the first two days after a daylight saving time transition.
The Heart Association offers these tips to get ahead of the time change:
Do start now to get outside and get as much natural light as possible each day. This can help adjust your body rhythm for the change to come.
Do begin winding down a little earlier in the evenings ahead. While you can never make up lost sleep, going into the time change well-rested can help.
Don’t compensate with extra caffeine. It may feel like an extra coffee or two can help you through the mid-day slump, but too much caffeine is not heart-healthy.
The Association’s Life’s Essential 8 recommended ideal level of sleep is:
7-9 hours daily for adults;
8-10 hours daily for ages 13-18 years;
9-12 hours daily for ages 6-12 years; and
10-16 hours daily for ages 5 and younger.
Daylight Saving Time ends on November 1, 2026.