Provisional_View t1_jbmcoy1 wrote on March 10, 2023 at 1:49 AM

What is the general consensus on polyphasic sleep? What are some things that you personally do to mitigate the effects of shifting between DST and ST? What is your biggest hurdle in convincing people who prefer DST that ST is the better option? What are the health effects of not getting enough sunlight in the morning? Do you think teenagers should continue to go to school at 7:00 AM or should they have a delayed start around 10:00 AM?

MedPedsChief t1_jbmdu0f wrote on March 10, 2023 at 1:58 AM

I can address the school start time part of your question: Teenagers in general have delayed sleep phase meaning that they have a hard time getting up in the morning and feeling awake. There is data to suggest that delaying school start time improves school performance and may reduce the risk of accidents in the morning for these teenagers. There has been movement towards delaying school start time for teenagers across the country. Unfortunately, implementing permanent daylight saving time will undo all this progress.

Here is the AASM position statement on this topic:

https://aasm.org/advocacy/position-statements/school-start-times-health-advisory/

SomnumBene t1_jbmf6gu wrote on March 10, 2023 at 2:09 AM

Regarding health effects of not getting enough sunlight in the morning: Properly timed morning light exposure helps maintain alignment of our body’s circadian rhythm. DST also means it stays light later in the evening, which can signal towards a later bedtime (via biology - such as melatonin release - as well as increased evening social activity, etc). This leads to reduced sleep overall. In fact, DST might reduce sleep time for the duration of DST, not just the first week. CDC has linked sleep deprivation to increased risks of high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, and obesity, to name a few. Simply said: #sleepisgoodmedicine