Winter time began this Saturday, April 6, 2024, when clocks were turned back 60 minutes.

Every year, at this time, the clock goes back and we adapt to winter time. And the question before this is what effects does this have on our body. Sebastián Corral, an academic at the Department of Psychology at the University of La Serena, who is a specialist in the circadian sleep cycle, details that there are consequences and that they are not the same for all people.

Circadian rhythms, also known as the “biological clock”, are defined by physical, mental and behavioral changes in 24-hour cycles, so any modification of the light perceived by the eyes can generate alterations due to delay or advance situations. hours.

“Currently these cycles not only depend on our biological clock, but also on the so-called 'social clock', which was imposed by several countries with the aim of saving electrical energy. It is estimated that today 25% of the world's population is exposed to these time changes, twice a year; Given this, the recommendations of various scientific societies indicate that these time changes must be eliminated and winter time maintained in a stable manner,” explains Corral, who is an expert in neuropsychology and cognitive neurosciences.

According to the psychologist, the time change does not affect everyone equally, since geographical factors must be considered, because the most important point in sleep regulation is the number of hours of daily light to which people are exposed. “Age also influences, this is because the hours of sleep vary depending on the years. When it begins to get dark, the brain produces a hormone called melatonin, which is associated with drowsiness, that is, it has a sleep-inducing function, but, on the other hand, when you wake up with sunlight there is an increase in another hormone, cortisol. The latter helps to activate us and remain in a state of wakefulness. The mismatch between the light and dark cycles and the 'social time' in which we go to sleep and wake up is what generates effects both on falling asleep and waking up tired," says Dr. Corral.

In Chile, on the first Saturday in April, the clocks are turned back one hour, in order to make more use of the daylight that changes with the advance of the seasons of the year. 

It should be noted that schedule changes require an adaptation time for human beings and animals in general, however, for the expert an hour is not significant and the body can adapt easily, but there are long-term effects and that go unnoticed by people. “They are mainly inflammatory consequences such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases,” he explains.

Recommendations

For the academic, the important thing is to follow patterns of behavior that help to adapt well to this change in cycle: “The important thing is to gradually adapt to the time change by taking some simple measures a few days before and advancing the schedule by 15 to 20 minutes to sleep and also do it in the same minutes when we get up, this is especially recommended for children, since they are the ones who have the most adaptation difficulties.”

In summary, during sleep-wake cycles our body carries out a series of metabolic and physiological processes, and also cognitive processes linked to learning and concentration. For this reason "it is very important that work and especially school activities begin with sunlight, therefore, the ideal would be to maintain the current winter schedule throughout the year," concludes the specialist.