Clocks change - Losing an hour could be bad for your health

[gertvegan]

Putting the clocks forward disrupts the intricate workings of our circadian rhythms and exacerbates sleep deprivation, finds Bryony Gordon

When the clocks go back in the autumn, the majority of us moan about the onset of winter and the fact that the sky has started to turn dark in the middle of the afternoon. However, our reaction to the clocks going forward - as they will this Sunday, when British Summer Time begins - is much more positive. Hooray for long, light spring evenings that lift our spirits.

But can losing that hour can have a detrimental effect on our health?

Full article HERE.

Listen again to Material World: Biological Clocks HERE.

[Shisha Fiend]

Why do they change the clocks anyway? I know DST saves money (and environment) on electricity, but I heard something about loads of car crashes one year when they decided not to, or something... maybe that was just an urban legend.

[veganblue]

Why do they change the clocks anyway? I know DST saves money (and environment) on electricity, but I heard something about loads of car crashes one year when they decided not to, or something... maybe that was just an urban legend.

I heard an urban legend of a lady who complained that the extra day light in Summer was fading her curtains...

My sympathy is for the nurses, call centre people, police and hospitality staff that work odd hours all the time for everyone elses convenience and/or necessity.

[tails4wagging]

It is murder on night duty when you work with babies, they dont understand the clocks moving back/forward. We had to juggle their feeds!!
Also working a night duty when the clocks go back is a killer, the night never ends!!. Great when its moves forward though.
I suffer from S.A.D and cannot wait for the light days/nights. I have more energy and am happier.

[tails4wagging]

I think moving the time forward/back stems back to the war years. But cannot remember the reason given!.

[Gorilla]

i thought it was something to do with farmers?

i find losing an hour quite disruptive to my sleep at first, but as my mood is also affected by the daylight, i welcome the longer days that come with the summer months.

[Geoff]

We don't have DST here in fact 'interfering with a device for keeping time' is an offence punishable by death in Queensland.

[Spiral]

I think moving the time forward/back stems back to the war years. But cannot remember the reason given!.

Here's the reason

[celtic rose]

I wish "they" would stop messing around with the clocks twice a year. It really screws me up each time while my body clock trys to adjust.
We don't need BST anymore.

[snaffler]

Its also annoying that this thing of the clocks is all done for the animal profiting farmers Grrrrr

[SilverBird]

I remember the experiment with Permanent Summer Time when the clocks weren't adjusted back an hour for the winter of 1968/1969. Seem to recall this was intended to help the building trade and also make it safer for children travelling home from school. The clocks were left as they were for another couple of years before reverting back to Greenwich Mean Time for the winter months and British Summer Time for the summer months. Adjusting the time by an hour twice a year doesn't bother my internal clock at all ... after a couple of days my system seems to adjust itself to the new routine without any problem. Have to say that, if given a choice, I do prefer the lighter evenings.

[Geoff]

I remember the experiment with Permanent Summer Time when the clocks weren't adjusted back an hour for the winter of 1968/1969. .

I don't remember that at all but they do say that, if you remember the sixties, you weren't really there!

[SilverBird]

Yes, I know ... but, despite being an enthusiastic participant in the excesses of the time, enough of the grey matter survived to be able to tell the tale

[Geoff]

Yes, I know ... but, despite being an enthusiastic participant in the excesses of the time, enough of the grey matter survived to be able to tell the tale

Yeah but, isn't it past your bedtime?

[SilverBird]

Not tonight ... have loads of webstuff to sort out ... several dozen photos to crop and resize first then put them on their webpages ... then, if I haven't nodded off with the tedium of sorting the photos, will do a bit more work on a new website I'm developing ... just browsing the forum now and again as a distracter task. One of my hubby's techie mates called round a while ago and they're messing about with the new web cams we bought today (sorry, yesterday now). Anyway, I've just finished my cuppa and so it's time to get on with the webstuff.