Like every last weekend in October, the Spanish turn their clocks back one hour this Saturday the 28th. At three o’clock it will be two o’clock and, as a consequence, it will dawn and dusk earlier. Although the majority of Spaniards agree with ending this jet lag that occurs twice a year – the other, at the end of March -, there is no consensus between scientific opinion and that of the general population regarding what schedule maintain. The summer one pleases two out of every three citizens more, while the winter one arouses a majority consensus among experts on health issues. In this second group is Ferran Barbé (Alguaire, Lleida, 1961), who is a professor of Medicine at the University of Lleida and one of the most influential researchers on issues related to sleep, according to the magazine Sleep and breathing. Barbé attends to EL PAÍS from her office at the Santa Maria University Hospital in Lleida through a video call in which she defends maintaining “a fixed schedule” throughout the year and making it “the winter schedule.”
Ask. How does time change affect health?
Answer. At an individual level, the change in schedule has a negative impact on attitude, character, ability to concentrate or quality of sleep. It is estimated that the impact usually lasts between approximately three days and a week, so there is no need to dramatize it, but the consequences exist. There are various studies that associate time changes with an increase in cardiovascular problems and even traffic accidents, especially when the summer changeover takes place, which is what takes away an hour of sleep. This is because we are adapted to a rhythm of light and darkness that helps us secrete melatonin. [hormona que regula el sueño] and, when it is suddenly out of adjustment, we lose the ability to fall asleep.
Q. And why is winter preferable to summer?
R. Because of the biological clock. Waking up and starting the work day with sunlight, as will happen starting this weekend, makes melatonin disappear and helps us be more active. And the same thing happens in the afternoon; The longer the daylight hours become, the longer it takes to secrete the hormone. In addition, the time change was established in 1974 for economic reasons related to the oil crisis. But, at present, it has not been proven that greater energy efficiency is obtained.
Q. In the Official State Gazette there are already Time changes published until October 2026. Will that be the last year?
R. It’s probable, but it’s not official yet. There is a consensus in the European Union to stop making them since 2018, but in Spain it has not been decided which one to keep.
Q. How do you explain that 66% of Spaniards prefer the summer one?
R. Social life, community life, is highly valued. Starting next week, when it gets dark around six in the afternoon, people will feel less like making leisure plans. And then there is the issue of the word with which we define each of the schedules: the summer schedule is associated with rest and more good vibes, while the winter schedule is associated with cold, darkness… Estrella Damm does not make an announcement in winter [entre risas].
Q. What population groups are the most affected?
R. Children and the elderly are more susceptible. The former because they need more hours of sleep and the latter because of their greater degree of general vulnerability. Although here it must also be noted that it is more noticeable during the change of spring, due to having one less hour to sleep.
Q. Beyond the schedule, what other factors alter the sleep routine?
R. Light stimulation from any device such as computers, mobile phones or tablets, a large dinner or playing sports in the three hours before going to sleep are factors that do not favor the secretion of melatonin. Also the temperature or external noise. All of these issues cause insomnia, which affects almost 10% of the population, and prevents quality sleep. And these problems are paid for in health: greater risk of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders…
Q. Is sleeping a lot socially frowned upon?
R. It seems that sleeping is synonymous with being lazy. But we each have a biological sleep clock, which is genetic and immutable. The needs of each individual are variable, from four or five hours to eight or nine. And we must respect them if we want to be productive.
Q. Is there a deregulation of sleep in Spain due to the time zone to which we are assigned, which is that of central Europe?
R. Deregulation exists because we would have to eat at one and have dinner between seven and eight. But this collides with commercial activity and social habits, so the change would have to be global. It doesn’t make sense that we have the same time as in Prague.
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