For seven months we lived by summer time, and very soon it will be necessary to switch to winter time. The Dutch government has postponed the adoption of the proposal of the European Commission to cancel the transitions to summer and winter time.
Winter time reference point
The transition to winter time is traditionally the night of the last Sunday in October. This year - from Saturday 29th to Sunday 30th October. Clocks are changed from 3:00 to 2:00, that is an hour ago.
A bit of history
Did you know that before 1977 we always "lived in winter"? That is, only in 1977, summer time was introduced. What for? Mainly for energy saving. If you set the clock forward an hour, it will be longer daylight. and this allows you to turn on the light longer in the evening. However, whether this actually saves energy has never been proven. But since then we have been enjoying very long summer days!
Is it true that changing the clock breaks the biorhythm?
The human body has its own internal biological clock, which is affected by daylight hours - the period of time from sunrise to sunset. These clocks give us a rhythm that ensures that we can anticipate the daily recurring light-dark cycles.
And yes, the biological clock of many of us can be disrupted. When you wake up on Sunday morning, October 30, it will be one hour early. You have to get used to it. For some, changing the clock can cause "hibernation." Fortunately, this consequence can be prevented, the use of certain techniques allows you to switch to winter mode smoothly.
TOP-5 fuses from "winter hibernation"
-
- Shine. Use the light alarm to wake you up as it mimics a natural sunrise. Get outside more during the day.
- Sleep. Due to the time shift and the malfunction of the biological clock, many of us find it more difficult to fall asleep at night and get up in the morning. Try to go to bed at the same time every day, including weekends, to ensure that you get the amount of sleep you need.
- Ritual. People who turn preparation for bed into a ritual have a chance to fall asleep earlier, respectively, to get enough sleep. For example, after dinner, take a bath or shower, then put on comfortable clothes, read a book, have some tea, and go to bed. If you do this every day, the body automatically gets ready for sleep on time.
- Motion. Going in for sports is always useful, but it is especially important during this period. Moreover, if you prefer to exercise in the morning (rather than in the evening), endorphins are produced in the body, which makes you feel more energetic. Along with exercising, walking or cycling to work or school is a good way to get used to winter time.
- Pause. If you feel tired and in a bad mood a day or more after the clock change (some people may take up to six days to return to their normal rhythm), allow yourself a short afternoon nap in the afternoon - no more than 20 minutes, after which you can continue the day rested . There are apps and alarm clocks for this, but the simplest solution is to lie down with a bunch of keys in your hand. As soon as you start "deep sleep", your muscles will relax, you will put the keys down and wake up to the sound of them falling.
