RALEIGH, N.C. – Night owls, rejoice! At 2 a.m. Sunday, clocks will shift back an hour as daylight saving time ends.
One week after the time change, crashes involving deer increase by about 16%, according to a study published in Current Biology.
All states, with the exception of Hawaii and Arizona, observe the twice-yearly shift in timekeeping between standard time and daylight saving time.
North Carolina is one of more than a dozen states attempting to do away with the time shift by proposing legislation. House Bill 326 is still in limbo.
Related: As clocks ‘fall back’ this weekend, the debate on time change continues
Duke Health pediatric neurologist and sleep specialist Dr. Sujay Kansagra says even a one-hour shift can have big impacts on a person’s health.
“When the entire population loses an hour of sleep, bad things can happen,” Kansagra said. “Accidents increase, heart attacks increase, so we know even a small amount of sleep can cause health consequences.”
He recommends people slowly shift their internal body clock by moving their time back 15 minutes each day and adding extra light exposure at nighttime.
Kansagra says the “fall back” transition is best for night owls and hardest for morning people, infants and toddlers.
He says sleep specialists are on the side of lawmakers trying to do away with daylight saving time shifts, saying standard time is the best match for humans’ natural circadian rhythm.