IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/glodps/1648.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Later Sunset, Better Health?

Author

Listed:
  • Kulshreshtha, Shobhit
  • Bhattacharya, Leena
  • Ayyagari, Padmaja

Abstract

Previous research, focusing primarily on high income countries, has linked later sunsets to sleep deficits and worse health outcomes. These results might not generalize to low- and middle- income countries, which have different socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental conditions. Using data from the 2015-16 and 2019-21 waves of India's Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and exploiting within-district variation in annual average sunset times, we estimate the causal impact of later sunsets on the long-term health outcomes of individuals. We find that later sunsets leads to a lower prevalence of anemia, diabetes, and thyroid disorders and an improvement in the overall health index. To explore mechanisms, we analyze variation in time allocation due to a later sunset time using the 2019 Time Use Survey. We find that individuals experiencing later sunsets sleep better and exercise more, but do not change their sedentary leisure activities. Additionally, they consume healthier food and increase labor supply. These lifestyle changes may explain the health improvements associated with delayed sunsets in India.

Suggested Citation

  • Kulshreshtha, Shobhit & Bhattacharya, Leena & Ayyagari, Padmaja, 2025. "Later Sunset, Better Health?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1648, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:1648
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/323524/1/GLO-DP-1648.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Desana Kocevska & Thom S. Lysen & Aafje Dotinga & M. Elisabeth Koopman-Verhoeff & Maartje P. C. M. Luijk & Niki Antypa & Nienke R. Biermasz & Anneke Blokstra & Johannes Brug & Wiliam J. Burk & Hannie , 2021. "Sleep characteristics across the lifespan in 1.1 million people from the Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States: a systematic review and meta-analysis," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 113-122, January.
    2. Austin C. Smith, 2016. "Spring Forward at Your Own Risk: Daylight Saving Time and Fatal Vehicle Crashes," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 8(2), pages 65-91, April.
    3. Pedro Bessone & Gautam Rao & Frank Schilbach & Heather Schofield & Mattie Toma, 2021. "The Economic Consequences of Increasing Sleep Among the Urban Poor," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 136(3), pages 1887-1941.
    4. Jennifer A. Heissel & Samuel Norris, 2018. "Rise and Shine: The Effect of School Start Times on Academic Performance from Childhood through Puberty," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 53(4), pages 957-992.
    5. Matthew Gibson & Jeffrey Shrader, 2018. "Time Use and Labor Productivity: The Returns to Sleep," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 100(5), pages 783-798, December.
    6. Nancy Folbre & Jayoung Yoon, 2007. "What is child care? Lessons from time-use surveys of major English-speaking countries," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 223-248, September.
    7. Sergio Firpo & Nicole M. Fortin & Thomas Lemieux, 2009. "Unconditional Quantile Regressions," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 77(3), pages 953-973, May.
    8. Jin, Lawrence & Ziebarth, Nicolas R., 2020. "Sleep, health, and human capital: Evidence from daylight saving time," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 174-192.
    9. Rathi Paramastri & Chien-Yeh Hsu & Hsiu-An Lee & Li-Yin Lin & Adi Lukas Kurniawan & Jane C.-J. Chao, 2021. "Association between Dietary Pattern, Lifestyle, Anthropometric Status, and Anemia-Related Biomarkers among Adults: A Population-Based Study from 2001 to 2015," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-15, March.
    10. repec:hal:journl:hal-04627021 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Osea Giuntella & Wei Han & Fabrizio Mazzonna, 2017. "Circadian Rhythms, Sleep, and Cognitive Skills: Evidence From an Unsleeping Giant," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(5), pages 1715-1742, October.
    12. Giuntella, Osea & Mazzonna, Fabrizio, 2019. "Sunset time and the economic effects of social jetlag: evidence from US time zone borders," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 210-226.
    13. Maulik Jagnani, 2024. "Children’s Sleep and Human Capital Production," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(4), pages 983-996, July.
    14. Roberto Gillmore, 2025. "Daylight Saving Time and Automobile Accidents: Evidence From Chile," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(5), pages 880-931, May.
    15. Indira Hirway, 2023. "Work and Workers in India: Moving towards Inclusive and Sustainable Development," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 66(2), pages 371-393, June.
    16. Tanaka, Shinsuke & Matsubayashi, Tetsuya, 2025. "The light of life: The effects of sunlight on suicide," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    17. Daniel S. Hamermesh & Caitlin Knowles Myers & Mark L. Pocock, 2008. "Cues for Timing and Coordination: Latitude, Letterman, and Longitude," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(2), pages 223-246, April.
    18. Balietti, Anca & Datta, Souvik & Veljanoska, Stefanija, 2022. "Air pollution and child development in India," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    19. Shankar Prinja & Akashdeep Singh Chauhan & Anup Karan & Gunjeet Kaur & Rajesh Kumar, 2017. "Impact of Publicly Financed Health Insurance Schemes on Healthcare Utilization and Financial Risk Protection in India: A Systematic Review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-19, February.
    20. Hilary Hoynes & Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach & Douglas Almond, 2016. "Long-Run Impacts of Childhood Access to the Safety Net," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(4), pages 903-934, April.
    21. Jennifer L. Doleac & Nicholas J. Sanders, 2015. "Under the Cover of Darkness: How Ambient Light Influences Criminal Activity," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(5), pages 1093-1103, December.
    22. Tanaka, Shinsuke & Koizumi, Hideto, 2024. "Springing forward and falling back on health: The effects of daylight saving time on acute myocardial infarction," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xu, Zhicheng & Zhao, Qingqi, 2025. "Sunrise, sunset, and adverse effects of the inflexible schedule on the health of students: Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 2180-2191.
    2. Costa-Font, Joan & Fleche, Sarah & Pagan, Ricardo, 2024. "The labour market returns to sleep," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    3. Nguyen, Ha Trong & Zubrick, Stephen R. & Mitrou, Francis, 2024. "The effects of sleep duration on child health and development," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 35-51.
    4. Eric Jonathon Osborne‐Christenson, 2022. "Saving light, losing lives: How daylight saving time impacts deaths from suicide and substance abuse," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(S2), pages 40-68, October.
    5. Bigler, Patrick & Janzen, Benedikt, 2024. "Too hot to sleep," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    6. Joan Costa‐Font & Sarah Fleche & Ricardo Pagan, 2024. "The welfare effects of time reallocation: evidence from Daylight Saving Time," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 91(362), pages 547-568, April.
    7. Chadi, Cornelia, 2023. "Too stressed to sleep? Downsizing, job insecurity and sleep behavior," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    8. Depalo, Domenico, 2023. "Should the Daylight Saving Time be abolished? Evidence from work accidents in Italy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    9. Jin, Lawrence & Ziebarth, Nicolas R., 2020. "Sleep, health, and human capital: Evidence from daylight saving time," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 174-192.
    10. Dou, Jialu & Gihleb, Rania & Giuntella, Osea & Lonsky, Jakub, 2025. "Breaking the Early Bell: Lessons from the First Statewide Mandate on School Start Times," IZA Discussion Papers 17930, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Nguyen, Ha Trong & Zubrick, Stephen R. & Mitrou, Francis, 2024. "Daylight duration and time allocation of children and adolescents," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    12. Kajitani, Shinya, 2021. "The return of sleep," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    13. Hajdu, Tamás, 2024. "Temperature exposure and sleep duration: Evidence from time use surveys," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    14. Giuntella, Osea & Lonsky, Jakub & Mazzonna, Fabrizio & Stella, Luca, 2021. "Immigration policy and immigrants’ sleep. Evidence from DACA," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 1-12.
    15. Flynn, James & Meyers-Richter, Noah & Nencka, Peter, 2025. "Soccer’s Record on the Road: The Effect of Late-Night Sporting Events on Fatal Car Crashes," IZA Discussion Papers 18050, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Dickinson, Andrew & Waddell, Glen R., 2024. "Productivity losses in the transition to Daylight Saving Time: Evidence from hourly GitHub activity," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    17. Jelnov, Pavel, 2021. "Sunset Long Shadows: Time, Crime, and Perception of Change," IZA Discussion Papers 14770, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Jonathan James, 2023. "Let there be light: Daylight saving time and road traffic collisions," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(3), pages 523-545, July.
    19. Billari, Francesco C. & Giuntella, Osea & Stella, Luca, 2018. "Broadband internet, digital temptations, and sleep," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 58-76.
    20. Adler, David & Severnini, Edson, 2023. "Timing matters: Intra-day shifts of economic activity and ambient ozone concentrations," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:1648. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/glabode.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.