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Moving the clocks to winter time, i.e. one hour back, gives an extra hour of sleeping time for the night between Saturday and Sunday.
It is individual how long it takes each person to catch up with their own sleep rhythm again and get used to winter time.
For some, it can take a couple of weeks to adapt, says the sleep and circadian rhythm researcher and docent of public health sciences Ilona Merikanto from the University of Helsinki.
Getting used to winter time is also influenced by a person’s natural circadian rhythm, i.e. whether it is more morning or evening.
Answer the six questions of the attached test and you will find out which group you belong to. The questions of the test have been adapted from the questions used by researchers.
Daytime work is the most common
Morning or evening alertness is a biological characteristic that determines, for example, at what time of day an individual’s best performance is located.
According to researcher Ilona Merikanto, population surveys have found that about 17 percent of Finnish adults are clearly night owls. There are clearly slightly more morning crocheters, about 22 percent.
The rest fall somewhere between the two. You can call them day workers.
– Moni is not quite an extreme morning crocheter, but not an extreme evening crocheter either, but somewhere in between. It’s good to be able to flex a little in both directions if necessary, Merikanto describes.
The circadian rhythm is a strongly inherited and quite permanent characteristic. Often, parents can already tell from their young child whether he is more of a morning or evening person.
Late night sleep increases the risk of many diseases
Night sweats increase the risk of various health problems. Sleep difficulties are more common than morning sickness, which can make it difficult to adapt to the rhythm demanded by society.
This means that turning the clocks can be difficult, especially for evening crochets. They are more sensitive than others to disruption of the circadian rhythm, because they are often out of sync with society’s schedules.
– As a result, lifestyles are more unhealthy, exercise is less, and alcohol use is more common on average than others, says Merikanto.
Studies have also found that night owls have an increased risk of both mental health problems and many diseases. These include, for example, back and metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.
Sleep and circadian rhythm researcher Ilona Merikanto tells what many researchers think about moving the clocks to winter and summer time.
An evening sickness does not automatically mean that you will get sick. However, it is good to know the risks.
– There are quite recent studies from around the world and from Finland that night owls have a higher mortality risk at a younger age. So this is pretty brutal.
The night owls may also feel ashamed that they have more difficulty adapting to society’s schedules than others.
Changing the clocks puts a strain on everyone
The researcher has one tip for both morning and evening jobs. Praying for the time is a strain on the body and mind.
If your life situation allows it, you should spend the first days of winter time relaxing for adaptation.
You should think about your own eating, outdoor activities and substance use.
– For example, comfort eating is more common in the evenings. It’s probably some kind of self-medication, like drug use.
You should clean out the extra expenses from the calendar and use the bright time for peaceful outdoor activities. When evening falls, sleep can be induced by minimizing the use of smart devices and calming down before going to bed.
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