The one group whose sleep cycle could benefit from putting clocks back an hour
How the daylight saving time disruption will impact your sleep cycle
- The autumn daylight saving clock change significantly disrupts the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, which is governed by sleep pressure and circadian rhythms.
- The body relies on three critical timing systems: melatonin as a sleep signal, core body temperature fluctuations, and cortisol as a wake signal, all synchronised by a central brain clock.
- While these internal cycles can gradually adjust to seasonal changes, abrupt shifts like the clock change cause disruption because humans are not evolved to cope with such sudden alterations.
- It typically takes several days for the body's biological clock to realign with the actual time, often resulting in a loss of REM sleep and potentially a deflated mood.
- The impact varies across individuals - some with delayed phase sleep syndrome may temporarily benefit, while others, including those with advanced-phase sleep syndrome or menopausal women, are more adversely affected.