The chief health benefit of "falling back" is likely the extra hour of sleep it means for many people. Sleep deprivation is suspected of increasing the likelihood of a heart attack, and possibly explains whu they are statistically more likely to occur on Monday mornings. Many people "sleep in" on the weekend and consequently stay up later Saturday and Sunday nights. Returning to the work schedule on Monday morning on fewer hours of sleep can be a jolt to the heart.

Biorhythmic seasonal adjustments associated with Daylight Saving Time are also implicated in heart attack risk. It's possible that both "springing forward" and "falling back" are a burden on heart health. However, the overall risk/benefit associated with inadequate/adequate sleep is probably a more-significant factor. In other words, our hearts don't like it when we try to fool Mother Nature, but that's minor compared to the insult of losing an hour of sleep each day.

Daylight Saving Time has always been controversial, but the arguments have heated up with its recent extension. It doesn't seem as though advocates or opponents have taken into account the apparent health repercussions.

The "benefit" to the heart of setting clocks back in the fall may be no actual benefit. It may simply reflect what should be the norm all year long.

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