Losing an hour of sleep each year on Daylight Saving weekend is already tough to bear on Monday morning, but for some, it can have serious health effects.
Some groups of people who already have health problems -- those who have depression or heart problems, for example -- are at higher risk of experiencing more severe effects from losing that hour of sleep, according to a report from Time Healthland.
One Australian study published in 2008 found that men were more likely to commit suicide during the first few weeks of Daylight Saving Time than at any other time during year, Time says.
Another 2008 study by Swedish researchers found that the number of serious heart attacks jumps from 6 percent to 10 percent on the first three workdays after Daylight Saving Time begins.
There are small, simple ways for the average New Yorker to get more sleep: try these tips from New York City sleep doc Dr. Steven Park.
And use Daylight Saving Time as an excuse to get outside first thing in the morning and get exposed to natural sunlight, Dr. Park suggests. "Not only is it good for vitamin D levels, the sunlight helps to reset and strengthen the sleep clock," Dr. Park says.
And if it's still rough going in the morning, Men's Health magazine offers some advice on quickly easing into an alert, wakeful state of mind.
