Sleep research risk time change

More traffic accidents and heart attacks through time change

27/10/2013

In the past night, the clocks were set back an hour in this country. Many are happy about the hour's sleep. But the time change is also a danger dar. So then it comes to more traffic accidents and heart attacks.

Eight percent more traffic accidents
The time change, which gave us an extra hour of sleep last night, also has negative sides. Thus, the change leads to about eight percent more traffic accidents. In addition, the hospital admissions with suspected heart attack would rise thereafter, as the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine (DGSM) announced on Friday in Berlin. „By changing the time, the human organism experiences a kind of mini-jetlag“, so DGSM board member Hans-Günter Weeß. It can take several days or even weeks for people to adapt to the changing time of day and the other light-dark rhythm. Especially old people and children often have difficulties with it.

Human has high-precision internal clock
The reset of the clocks has brought us an extra hour of sleep, but as Weeß explains, humans have a high-precision internal clock, which is located in the brain and closely linked to the light-dark rhythm. Among other things, the release of the hormone melatonin is controlled and influenced via this region of the brain. This hormone is involved in controlling many of the body's own rhythms, such as sleep and waking phases. In addition, melatonin contributes to performance, body temperature, hunger and satiety.

Pressed mood in the dark season
The sleep specialist also said that changing the internal clock in autumn is a bit more tolerated than at the beginning of summer time in spring: „That's because she always goes a little slower than the 24-hour day.“ Thus, it would be easier to go to bed later and fall asleep than to lie down before the usual time. But also the time change in October could be accompanied by tiredness, insomnia and headache. A bigger problem than the clock, but are the shorter autumn or winter days and the weaker daylight in these seasons. Because in the consequence of it could come frequently to depressed mood up to a winter depression. When the time comes, sufferers will have access to numerous home remedies for winter depression that can help with the darker seasons. (Ad)