Expert Alert

How 'springing forward' impacts sleep

Image of a group of black alarm clocks with one blue alarm clock at the center.
Credit: Getty Images.

As we approach the changing of our clocks for daylight saving time on Sunday, March 12, University of Minnesota Medical School expert Michael Howell speaks about how the time change can impact sleep.

Michael Howell, MD
“Sleep is critically important to our brain and body health, yet most people don’t sleep well. This has consequences ranging from missed free throws to cancer. The hour of sleep loss during the change into daylight saving time is linked to car accidents and heart attacks, providing a little glimpse into the importance of sleep.”

Specializing in sleep disorders, Dr. Howell is a professor at the U of M Medical School and is the medical director of M Health Fairview’s Sleep Performance Training program for Athletes. His clinical interests include sleepwalking and related disorders such as REM sleep behavior disorder, sleep-related eating disorder, sleep seizures and other violent sleep behaviors. 

Contact
Michael Howell
Neurologist at the U of M Medical School and M Health Fairview
[email protected]

Download a high resolution photo or Dr. Howell.

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About the University of Minnesota Medical School
The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School, both the Twin Cities campus and Duluth campus, is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. For more information about the U of M Medical School, please visit med.umn.edu.

About “Expert Alert”
University of Minnesota experts can provide commentary, insights and opinions on various news topics. Find selected experts on UMN’s Experts Guide or send requests to [email protected].

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