Sleep deprivation may increase heart attack risk

Loyola University Health SystemMar 11 2010

Daylight Savings Time can be hazardous for your health.

On average, people go to work or school on the first Monday of Daylight Savings after sleeping 40 fewer minutes than normal. And recent studies have found there's a higher risk of heart attacks, traffic accidents and workplace injuries on the first Monday of Daylight Savings.

"Many people already are chronically sleep-deprived, and Daylight Savings Time can make them even more tired for a few days," said Dr. Nidhi Undevia, medical director of the Sleep Program at Loyola University Health System.

Undevia offers these tips for getting enough sleep after moving the clock forward an hour:

-- In the days before the time change, go to bed and wake up 10 or 15 minutes earlier each day.

-- Don't nap on the Saturday before the time change.

-- To help reset your internal body clock, expose yourself to sunlight in the morning as early as you can.