Good Riddance to Daylight Saving Time
Plus: Anti-aging advice is BS, and too much light spoils sleep
Welcome back to Age Wise, your weekly update on the science of physical health and mental wellness at every stage of life. Here’s what’s new and interesting:
You might’ve been surprised to hear this week that the U.S. Senate passed a bill that would nix the nonsensical flip-flopping of time to Daylight Saving and back every year. Good riddance!
As I wrote in a brief history of Daylight Saving Time a couple years ago, the time warp traces back to WW1, when clocks were changed as a way to conserve fuel and lengthen the workday for the sake of the war effort. But as I wrote in a separate article, research in recent years has indicated the switch is not only ineffective at saving energy but it can disrupt sleep and may be generally unhealthy and even dangerous, causing a surge in car crashes, among other accidents that can be fueled by a bad night’s sleep.
The bill needs to be matched in the House and signed by the president, but there’s no logical, sound, scientific reason why some version of it should not sail through. HOWEVER, there’s one important wrinkle: As Carolyn Chrit reports for Medscape, sleep experts would prefer Congress eliminate Standard Time rather than nixing DST. As for which one we’re on right now, well, do you even know?
Light at Night Spoils Sleep and Health
Our sleep-wake cycle is driven in large part by darkness, which triggers the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone, along with getting plenty of natural light outdoors during the day to suppress the production. A new study reveals just how sensitive we are to light, even when we’re sleeping, and how it can affect our overall health:
A new study reveals that during sleep, the brain detects light that passes through our eyelids, kicking the body’s nervous system into a higher state of alert. That elevates the heart rate, reduces sleep quality, and raises risks for heart disease and diabetes. …
Compared to those who slept in darkness, the heart rates of participants who slept with the light on were 5% to 20% higher, continuously during the night, and they spent less time in the most restorative stages of deep sleep. In the morning, these individuals had on average 25% higher levels of insulin, a sign of insulin resistance, when the body struggles to convert glucose into energy — a hallmark of Type 2 diabetes.
My story on Medium covers the study details, including how much night light is too much, plus more about how to optimally manage your exposure to light and darkness.
Anti-Aging Advice is BS
Headlines like this one I saw recently get my dander up: “The #1 Best Vegetable to Prevent Aging.” The bold claim sits atop a story that debunks the promise in the very first sentence: “Let’s face it — there’s absolutely no way to stop the aging process.” Exactly!
There’s no such thing as an anti-aging elixir, I write in my column on Medium this week. Death, however, is a good remedy, I suggest. Why does it matter?
Headlines suggesting foods or creams or pills can halt or reverse aging send a false and unhealthy message, fomenting guilt and worry while urging purchases and other actions that set us up for disappointment when we look in the mirror after a year of loading up on kale, collagen, and turmeric while rubbing in ungodly expensive creams and conditioners, only to see a year-older self staring back with more gray hair, more wrinkles, more flab around the belly.
There are numerous things you can do to slow the aging process, however, to give yourself the best chance of a long and healthy life. See the list >.
Feedback
Selected reader reactions to the above-mentioned article on anti-aging:
“I agree with most of what you said. Biological and chronological age can be quite different, and that difference is often due to lifestyle. I think we should embrace aging but understand that we can modestly SLOW the rate of aging through diet and lifestyle changes (as you mention in your article) but it won't come from taking an overhyped supplement. The behaviors you listed for slowing the aging process are all excellent.”
—Kristie Leong, MD
“In fairness, most of the anti-aging articles simply state what you just did. Take care of yourself and socialize. They talk about slowing the rate of aging, not avoiding it altogether.”
—Cait Mack
“Embracing getting older is a real key. I wear my 82 years as a badge of honor.”
—Willis Olson