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Parent Category: Upper-Intermediate News Lessons

Category: Health Lessons

Written by Chris Cotter

Nearly seventy countries around the world follow daylight saving time, or when clocks get adjustedin the spring and fall. Because of longer daytime hours in the summer, clocks get moved forward one hour in the spring. Because of shorter daytime hours in the winter, the opposite happens. There are environmental and economic benefits, such as less energy consumption and improved sales for shops.

But did you know that there are health benefits? New research shows that an extra hour of sleep just after the time change in the fall decreased the chances of a heart attack. Unfortunately, in the spring, the number of heart attacks increased due to the loss of sleep. In fact, many other separate studies have debunked myths about sleep.

For example, seven to eight hours of sleep per night is now considered best. Some people may function on less sleep, but at a severe price. Too little sleep can greatly harm your judgment, work performance, the health of your heart, and your immune system. In addition, if you drive with only six hours of sleep or less, it's almost the same as driving drunk. You will have worse reaction times and more accidents. If you usually sleep too little during the week but then sleep a lot on the weekend, this pattern also causes harm. The body needs consistency, and irregular sleep patterns can cause stress.

On the other hand, too much sleep can cause just as much damage. Scientists haven't determined if too much sleep is the cause or the symptom.

So what message can you take away from this article? Don't just accept the time change this fall as a one or two hour bonus, but as an opportunity to make some lasting changes to your sleep habits.