A Word from Our CEO
By Bev Heim-Myers
March 10, 2013
When a time change happens it always messes up my internal clock. I am not the only one it seems. Evidently, (according to a post in the Business Insider) a small shift in our time can have a big impact on our body clock and health.
When it is “spring forward” time, I try to proactively compensate for losing one hour of sleep; I go to bed earlier, I get some fresh air and exercise the day before the clocks change, etc. It doesn’t seem to matter what I do, I feel a bit lethargic for a few days. Based on the news clips, there is an increase in vehicle and pedestrian accidents for a few days after daylight saving time starts. Changing our sleep patterns by just one hour has a bigger impact than logic might suggest.
It is well known that sleep is critical to our well being and even a minor deprivation, like the clock’s changing, can create havoc with our bodies. It is also well known that sleep deprivation commonly occurs in HD and researchers are now trying to determine whether or not sleep deprivation is the cause of any HD symptoms. If this turns out to be the case then managing dysfunctional sleep becomes a strong focus of treatment. To find out more about the research go to http://en.hdbuzz.net/162 .
Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the best things we can do for our mind and our body; waking up refreshed sets us up for a productive day. So, for the next little while, why not try a walk during the daylight hours and try lights out a bit earlier……sweet dreams.