Daylight saving time impacts mental health according to medical experts

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Medical experts say the time change with daylight saving doesn’t just make people want more coffee; it can cause depression, anxiety, and exhaustion.

“It might seem like a small change. It might seem like, ‘Gosh, I get this extra time to sleep in,’ but it really can have detrimental effects, especially on our mood overall,” said Dr. Marri Horvat, a neurologist with the Cleveland Clinic.

Psychiatrists and sleep specialists agree that daylight saving is more than a shift in time.

“This is a very, very high number of people who actually say that the change in time will give them some depression, some discomfort, some uneasiness,” said Dr. Petros Levounis with the American Psychiatric Association.

Many Georgians are against it, and the state of Georgia actually passed a law that would stop the time change back in 2021. So why are we still changing our clocks twice a year? A federal law from 1966 requires the country use daylight saving time.

“We’re asking our bodies to make this change that we’re not giving the right input for, right? When it’s light outside we should be awake. When it’s dark, we should be going to sleep. We’re going against what our body is fundamentally meant for, so, it’s normal that this can be a difficult thing for people,” said Dr. Horvat.

Health experts say people can prepare their bodies for the time change by limiting caffeine and alcohol before bed, exercising, and spending more time outside, even as the daylight hours decrease.

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