Daylight Savings Time: Beauty Boost or Bust?

Beauty Advantages When You Fall Back:

Circadian Rhythms – Your Body Clock

When Daylight Savings Time ends in the fall, experts say the body returns to its intrinsic circadian rhythm, which synchs up with natural sunlight changes throughout the year. As a result, we’re more likely to sleep soundly during the fall and winter, but are less likely to do so in the leap forward during spring and summer.

In short, our bodies aren’t fooled by the artificial change in time when we "Spring forward." Car crash statistics support the theory: history has shown that the week after the spring clock change, there’s a statistically significant increase in car accidents, which is partly due to sleep deprivation. When your brain is sluggish, reaction time is slowed and you're more accident-prone.

QUIZ: How are Your Sleep Habits?

Appetite Control

Extended sunlight hours in the spring and summer can signal to the body that it should be awake and eating, while more darkness in the fall and winter can help control natural appetite urges, since the body is instead preparing to rest. The tendency towards longer and better hours of sleep in the winter can also help you lose weight (if you can navigate the holiday parties without binge eating).

“Experts estimate that compared to getting seven to eight hours per night, the risk of developing obesity rises 23 percent with just six hours of sleep per night, 50 percent with only five hours of sleep per night, and 73 percent with four hours per night,” says nutritionist Keri Glassman, R.D., C.D.N.

STUDY: Lack of Sleep Leads to Snacking