A messed-up body clock could be a bigger problem than lack of sleep

Poor ‘chronohygiene’ may harm your health and mood

An illustration of a circular alarm clock.

A misaligned body clock, or circadian rhythm, could be cause for concern.

Westend61/Getty Images Plus, T. Tibbitts

On the eve of Daylight Saving Time, I flew home to Vermont from California. Crossing several time zones, I arrived near midnight. At 2 a.m., the clock jumped ahead an hour, leaving me discombobulated.

“How messed up am I?” I asked sleep researcher and evolutionary anthropologist David Samson days later.