Mass. psychologist on how time change impacts mental health

MEDICAL CENTER. GOOD TO SEE YOU. HEY, DR. ALICE, GREAT TO SEE YOU. SO CHANGING THE CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR DOESN’T SOUND LIKE A BIG CHANGE, RIGHT? IT’S JUST AN HOUR. BUT WHAT DOES RESEARCH SHOW? YEAH, SO WE ALL KNOW THAT THE WEEK AFTER THE CLOCKS CHANGE CAN FEEL A BIT WONKY AS WE GET USED TO THE TIME DIFFERENCE. FORTUNATELY FOR US, FALLING BACK IS WAY LESS DISRUPTIVE FOR OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH THAN SPRINGING FORWARD. BUT MANY PEOPLE STILL EXPERIENCE SLEEP DISRUPTIONS, WHICH CAN WORSEN EXISTING PHYSICAL HEALTH ISSUES SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND DIABETES. THE REAL MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE END OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IS A MENTAL HEALTH ONE, AND IT’S AN INCREASE IN MOOD SYMPTOMS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, DEPRESSIVE EPISODES INCREASE ABOUT 11% IN THE WEEKS RIGHT AFTER DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS. SO THERE’S A LONG LIST OF HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. THEY WANT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME TO END PERMANENTLY. SO WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN, IN YOUR OPINION, FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH? SO THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT OF ENDING DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME WOULD BE THE ELIMINATION OF THE SLEEP DISRUPTIONS FROM CHANGING CLOCKS IN THE FALL AND IN THE SPRING. AS WE ALL KNOW AT THIS POINT, HOPEFULLY SLEEP IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH. OTHER BENEFITS, THOUGH, INCLUDE GREATER EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT, WHICH HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MOOD AND ACTUALLY BETTER SLEEP YEAR ROUND SUNSET ACTIVATES MELATONIN, WHICH TELLS US IT’S TIME TO GO TO BED AND SO PEOPLE MIGHT NOTICE THAT DURING DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IN THE SPRING, THE SUMMER AND THE EARLY FALL, THAT THEY MAY ACTUALLY BE GOING TO BED LATER BECAUSE THE SUN ISN’T SETTING UNTIL LATER TO LET THEM KNOW. AND THEIR BODIES KNOW THAT IT’S TIME FOR BED. SO. SO DR. ELLIS JUST PICKED UP ON THE LIGHT THEME, OF COURSE, LESS DAYLIGHT DURING THE DAY AND THEN LONGER DARKNESS FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. THAT’S COMING WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT. SO WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO NOW? DOES ARTIFICIAL LIGHT ACTUALLY HELP? YES, IT CAN, BUT IT HAS TO BE A SPECIFIC KIND OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT. SO YOU CAN SEE SOMETIMES THERE ARE CALLED LIKE SAD LAMPS THAT ARE OR YOU CAN FIND THEM ON AMAZON. SO THOSE CAN BE HELPFUL FOR SOME PEOPLE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO GET ONE OF THOSE GOING TO BED EARLIER TO MAXIMIZE YOUR EXPOSURE TO DAYLIGHT IN THE MORNING CAN BE HELPFUL. REALLY TRYING TO GET DIRECT SUNLIGHT FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES WITHIN THE FIRST HOUR OF WAKING UP. SO MAYBE HAVING YOUR BREAKFAST OR A CUP OF COFFEE NEXT TO A WINDOW CAN BE HELPFUL AND THEN JUST KIND OF CONTINUE ENGAGING IN THOSE LIKE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS, LIKE REGULAR EXERCISE WISE, EATING A HEALTHY DIET, THINGS LIKE THAT. MOST PEOPLE WILL ADJUST AFTER THE FIRST WEEK OR TWO. IF YOU NOTICE THAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A MUCH LOWER MOOD OR YOU’RE KIND OF LOSING MOTIVATION, YOU’RE HAVING SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN APPETITE OR SLEEP THAT MIGHT BE A SIGN THAT YOU SUFFER FROM SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER IN WHICH CASE YOU MAY NEED SOME EXTRA SUPPORT AND SHOULD PROBABLY SPEAK TO A DOCTOR. DR. CONNORS KELLGREN

Dr. Alice Connors-Kellgren, a clinical psychologist at Tufts Medical Center, talks about what research says changing the clocks back one hour does to people.

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Mass. psychologist on how time change impacts mental health

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