It’s that time here in the U.S. again and we need to remember to set our clocks back tonight before we go to bed.  At 2 AM on Sunday, November 2 we “fall back” and get an extra hour of sleep (or work an extra hour).

That extra hour could have an affect on our overall health.  According to a Swedish research team, there seems to be some correlation between that extra hour of sleep and heart health. After reviewing 20 years of records, the number of heart attacks was consistently lower on the Monday following turning the clocks back.  What else did they learn?

In the spring, when the clocks moved forward and everyone lost an hour of sleep, the number of heart attacks over the following three days increased.

This says a lot about the effects a good night’s sleep can have on you but it says even more about the detrimental health effects of lack of sleep.  At a time when nurses are working longer hours to keep up with overtime and lack of staffing, it is important for all of us to keep an eye on our own health.