Most Americans Want to End Seasonal Time Changes

It’s nearly time for the clocks to “fall back,” but a new survey finds 63 percent of Americans polled want a fixed, year-round time. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) also favors this. President of the AASM, Dr. Kannan Ramar, notes that time changes increase the risk of stroke, hospital admissions, sleep loss, and also add to inflammation—one of the body’s responses to stress. Researchers also say there’s an 18 percent increase in adverse medical events due to human error in the week after switching to daylight saving time in the spring. To make the most of the hour gained from the switch back to standard time on November 1st, the AASM recommends going to bed at your usual time, setting your clock back one hour just before getting into bed, waking up at your regular time, and noting how much better you feel after an extra hour of sleep and making it a goal to get enough sleep each day. Here’s the complete story from UPI.