So, we've been a couple of days into Daylight Savings Time now. Is everyone organized yet? Or are you me - still waking up confused, glancing at the clock, and wondering why everything is out of whack?
That "just one hour" shift that took place over the weekend continues to send waves through so many of our lives, especially for us chronic illness folk. While others are able to recover in a day or two, many of us are still feeling the impact and will be for days, if not weeks, to come.
If you've been tougher than usual this week, you're not alone, and there's a reason for it. Let's talk about the reason why this apparently small time change impacts our community so much and what we can do to help our bodies adjust because we're already well into it.
For chronically ill people, routine isn't an option - it's medicine. Our bodies respond best when they know what's coming, and even minor disruption can have incredible impact.
This is why you're still dealing with the aftereffects:
We already have a hard time sleeping through the night, painsomnia (wakingness due to pain), or sleep disturbance caused by medication. That lost hour of sleep adds to our sleep debt we're already racking up. While your body repairs itself during sleep, that lost hour is a deficit that doesn't come back with the sunrise.
Feel your level of exhaustion skyrocket since Sunday? You're not losing your mind. MS, fibromyalgia, Crohn's, lupus, and other chronic illnesses typically have fatigue as a primary symptom. DST will increase this fatigue for days, so that even ordinary tasks of daily living become climbing mountains.
Most of our community members go through symptom flares in the days following DST. The stress hormones that are released due to the change in our sleep cycles can lead to inflammation and pain, which will take weeks to subside.
If you're on carefully scheduled drugs, your body might still be getting used to the new beat. Whether it's pain management, hormone replacement, or autoimmune disease medications, that disruption can lead to breakthrough symptoms that linger.
Feeling anxious or blue this week? The link between long-term physical disease and mental illness is well established, and DST has been linked to increased depression and anxiety symptoms even in the general population.
Even though we're already a few days past the time change, it's not too late to help your body acclimate:
If that's still being a problem for you, allow yourself to back off. Your body is continuing to adapt to an interruption and pushing through is only going to delay recovery. Can you get out of any non-essential plans this weekend to give yourself a reset?
Even when you're tired, make sure to get outside into natural light within an hour of waking up. This will reset your internal clock and will help accelerate the transition to the new schedule.
When the days get longer, it's tempting to stay out later, but maintaining a consistent bedtime is crucial during this time. Start winding down and lowering lights at least one hour before bedtime to signal your body to sleep.
If you're noticing more inflammation or pain this week, double down on water and consider prioritizing anti-inflammatory foods to assist your body in healing.
Pay attention to whether certain symptoms are particularly disturbed by the time change. Knowing this information can assist you in planning better for the fall time change (or at least convince yourself that what you're experiencing isn't "all in your head").
If you discover that you're still struggling with medication timing, discuss with your physician whether subtle tweaks can fix you.
The evidence against DST continues to build. Research has found it causes:
For the public at large, these risks are scary. For those of us already living with chronic conditions, they're terrifying.
Some states have filed legislation to abolish the time changes, recognizing the health impact. As members of the chronic illness community, our voices matter in this fight.
A brief phone call or email to your state and national representatives can convince them to take action on the health implications of DST, particularly for those with chronic conditions.
Different organizations like Save Standard Time and state governments are advocating for a stop to time changes. Joining your energy with these efforts makes the case more compelling.
Personal experiences are persuasive. Explaining how DST affects your health (to your comfort) enables others to understand why this isn't a matter of convenience but of health.
If you're still struggling this week, be assured you're not alone. Your symptoms aren't fabricated - they're a real response to a real physiological stressor. It might take another week or so before everything seems like your usual.
Meanwhile, be good to yourself. Lower expectations when you can. Let friends and family know that DST is not an insignificant inconvenience to you - it's a health barrier that must have time to clear.
Our bodies are wired differently. Our needs are valid. And until DST is an antiquity, we will continue to learn how to support one another through these challenging transitions.
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