On the second Sunday of March, we’ll once again perform our annual ritual of “springing forward,” shifting our clocks and sacrificing an hour of precious sleep in exchange for a little more evening light. While the promise of longer days feels like a welcome reprieve from winter, the reality for our bodies—and our research—is often a bit more complicated. This shift is more than just a minor inconvenience or a missed hour of rest.
For our students, staff, faculty, and researchers across the TMC, Daylight Saving Time (DST) represents a significant disruption to our circadian rhythms, often leading to a temporary but measurable sluggishness in cognitive performance, mood, and even physical health. As we navigate the high-stakes environment of medical research and education, understanding the toll of this transition is the first step in mitigating its impact.
Connecting with our TMC Community
At The TMC Library, we want to ensure you have the evidence-based tools to navigate this transition and maintain your momentum. The “sleep debt” created by DST has been linked to everything from increased workplace injuries to a spike in cardiovascular events. We invite you to explore the literature behind sleep hygiene and circadian biology through our clinical databases to better understand the physiological impact on both practitioners and patients. Here are a few articles on DST-related research.
- Foster R. G. (2020). Sleep, circadian rhythms and health. Interface focus, 10(3), 20190098. 10.1098/rsfs.2019.0098
- Roenneberg, T., & Merrow, M. (2016). The Circadian Clock and Human Health. Current Biology, 26(10), R432–R443. 10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.011
- Wiederhold, B. K. (2025). From Darkness to Light: Spotlighting the Health Effects of Daylight Savings Time. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 28(4), 221–223. 10.1089/cyber.2025.0066
Partnership with HCPL
If the loss of an hour has you feeling stressed, remember that a “mental break” is scientifically proven to help. Through our partnership with the Harris County Public Library (HCPL), you can access thousands of eBooks and audiobooks for a relaxing evening wind-down at HCPL TMC Library. Some books to consider for our “Springing Forward” theme include great reads like The Clockwork Conspiracy by Sam Sedgman, The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker, The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston, or See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon.
A Note to Our Community
As your librarians, we see the hard work you put in every day—regardless of what the clock says. While the system of DST might be an “old school” tradition that takes the wind out of our sails for a week, remember that your health is the foundation of your research. Be kind to yourselves during this transition, listen to your bodies, and know that we are here to support your success. Remember, “the benefits of self-compassion (SC) for well-being do not only result from being a more self-compassionate person but can also unfold in a given moment when someone treats themself with more compassion (Mey et al., 2023).”