How the Time Change Affects Us

Why does time keep playing tricks on us?

Where I am in Spain, Daylight Saving Time ended in the early morning of Saturday, October 26th, moving to Sunday, October 27th, welcoming the 2024 winter time. At 3:00AM, the clocks turned back to 2:00AM.

Not that I noticed this, I was deep in sleep and still following my “American” calendar.

I soon learned that this time change applies to the entire European Union and is controversial due to its alleged reasons of sustainability and energy saving, which are being highly questioned.

The reality is that turning back the clock back in this case, or forward when the time changes again in the spring, has repercussions on our biological rhythms and subsequently, our health.

The time is changed again in the Spring, which takes place in March. The idea is to make most of the daylight hours and “lengthen” the days. The objective is to adjust the workday to the hours of sunlight and promote energy savings in both the public and private sectors.

But after December 22nd and 23rd — the shortest days of the year, the hours of sunlight gain minutes each day and we reach the time change in March with a longer day than January already. Thus, we will reach the summer solstice, on June 20th, the longest day of the…