I am so with you on daylight savings Sophie! Please start the petition to ban this ridiculous, sleep-disrupting, jet-lag inducing practice, I will be the first to sign it! This week has been tough😴
Thank you, Sophie. So interesting. I had no idea this was the origin of daylight savings time. (I mistakenly thought it had to do with farmers.) It is certainly the case that daylight savings time and out excessive use of artificial lighting dramatically interferes with our circadian rhythms and impacts our health.
And, thank you so much for the mention. I’m glad you enjoyed my post. Yes to gathering in community and standing up! 🩵
Appreciating your mini history lesson and also the thoughtful comments in this thread. I agree with you — the jolt — sudden shift is what seems to be most health diminishing, at least the week it takes place. ✨
I’m honestly a little confused by most “let’s do away with Daylight Saving Time” arguments, because they conflate (1) being on an earlier schedule with (2) the shock of transitioning between an earlier and a later schedule.
Sleep scientists tell us that (1) is bad for our circadian rhythms.
A lot of folks really have a problem with (2). At least, as an annual one-hour-forward-then-one-hour-back cycle.
And your latitude, I suspect, will determine a lot of whether you experience benefits or drawbacks from changing your clocks. I’m in the low-forties, so there are a few weeks in early winter when summer time really would mean children walking to school in the dark, and there are a few weeks in early summer when sunlight bangs on our eyeballs far earlier than most of us want to be awake. All of this is worse farther from the equator, but there’s a point where daylight saving time probably just stops helping.
Most of our societies are computerized enough now that we could probably find a way to go back to longitude-based solar time or even something fancier based on dawn (which would have to be adjusted for very long or very short days). But before we start to come up with solutions, we need to understand the problem.
So. Are we upset with daylight savings time because it’s too early, its absence is too late, or is it the way we change the clocks that’s the real problem?
Hi! thanks for the thoughtful comment, definitely made me think. I think, on reflection, it's not so much whether it's too late or too early, but that the sudden change is jarring - so it's about the way we change the clocks that feels unnatural and creates a mini jetlag. I'm in NZ and our winter days are very short, I realise there will never be a mythical perfect balance. But it's the sudden change that removes our natural ability to adjust to the days getting shorter. I guess it's noticing that the seasons shift, the sun rises and sets but our clocks do something else entirely which makes it a difficult shift for our bodies. I'm not sure what the correct solution is, I don't want some new complex system either - but just some kind of solution that allows us to be more in line with the natural rhythm.
It always takes a couple of days to adjust... living in a village you really sense the nonsense of it though. Cows that are milked at certain times of day can't just be switched to match the hour on the clock, or like the crows who show up exactly as the sun is rising, all the animals move, or mooooo, with rhythm of the sun. It would be nice if we could one day do the same thing.
For years, I used to start a month ahead, shifting my sleep/wake cycle by 15 minutes each week. That actually worked kind of well for the body and mind but it was still kind of disruptive, practically speaking. I highly recommend this to my students and to anyone who works full time.
Once I shifted to teaching online with the pandemic, I had more freedom. As an experiment one entire year I tried setting my alarm with the sun, advancing/retreating a couple of minutes every couple of days with the seasons. I simply went to bed 8 hours earlier. My body did better this way but it was a pain, from a practical standpoint.
From there, I went to simply going to bed when I got tired which, to my surprise, still, after over 6 decades of living on clock time, happened on a quite regular and therefore predictable schedule. I'd set my alarm to go off in 8h. That worked great healthwise except that twice a year I'd suddenly be out of sync with the entire rest of the country.
So this year I "ignored" Daylight Savings altogether, which I thought I could do since I still work from home and I'm naturally an early riser (my body thinks it's 5:47 a.m. standard time) but. . . that worked only up to a point. Because meetings and appointments and lunch dates and such remained on other people's schedules, meal times naturally shifted and so forth, and so it still threw my body for a loop this year.
I'm only just now starting to feel normal again. It's taken weeks, and I've felt like hell for most of them.
I've been thinking that I will let myself re-adopt a completely normal schedule this winter, while we are back on Standard Time, and take a more intentional approach to spring next year. Beyond that? I'll figure something out. Maybe go back to the sync-with-the-sun thing but include my work & meals schedule in regular seasonal shifts, too, try pinning my midday break to astronomical noon to anchor my day.
I love the sync with the sun idea or the slower approach to adjusting to the new time. Syncing with the sun sounds quite difficult from a more practical viewpoint but sounds like it would be so good for your body.
I've got a parrot and he syncs with the sun, as soon as the sun comes up he's awake and when sun goes down he goes "goodnight" 🙂
My bird,too! She insists I cover her at sundown. She's quiet in the mornings though because, of course, she's covered. Her room has heavy drapes, too, so cars don't scare her at night and just generally because of light pollution.
Modern life has pathologized natural rest, calling it ‘seasonal depression’ when maybe it’s just wisdom. Other mammals fatten, migrate, or hibernate. Well.......we drink pumpkin spice lattes and power through lol.
The hopeful part is that change happens exactly as you describe, when enough people stop pretending the emperor’s clothes fit. If 3.5% of workers started leaving at sunset in winter, or schools aligned with teenage circadian rhythms, we’d call it progress.
I definitely fatten up in winter as well 🤣🤣 but you are so right, I used to call it seasonal depression as well. Now I know better. You've actually just given me an idea for my next post
I’ve never really given daylight savings much thought but it’s so true, a real disrupter. That said, I really enjoyed the clocks springing forward this year.
I am so with you on daylight savings Sophie! Please start the petition to ban this ridiculous, sleep-disrupting, jet-lag inducing practice, I will be the first to sign it! This week has been tough😴
Thank you, Sophie. So interesting. I had no idea this was the origin of daylight savings time. (I mistakenly thought it had to do with farmers.) It is certainly the case that daylight savings time and out excessive use of artificial lighting dramatically interferes with our circadian rhythms and impacts our health.
And, thank you so much for the mention. I’m glad you enjoyed my post. Yes to gathering in community and standing up! 🩵
I always thought it was farmers too! But no, it's a guy who liked bugs 😂
🤣
Daylight savings should be abolished end up. You explained well what does to us, Sophie.
I mean understand the benefits when it was first introduced but nowadays that doesn't make sense anymore. Sign me up!
Yes it made sense back in the day, but not anymore
Appreciating your mini history lesson and also the thoughtful comments in this thread. I agree with you — the jolt — sudden shift is what seems to be most health diminishing, at least the week it takes place. ✨
Glad you enjoyed it Heather 😊
I’m honestly a little confused by most “let’s do away with Daylight Saving Time” arguments, because they conflate (1) being on an earlier schedule with (2) the shock of transitioning between an earlier and a later schedule.
Sleep scientists tell us that (1) is bad for our circadian rhythms.
A lot of folks really have a problem with (2). At least, as an annual one-hour-forward-then-one-hour-back cycle.
And your latitude, I suspect, will determine a lot of whether you experience benefits or drawbacks from changing your clocks. I’m in the low-forties, so there are a few weeks in early winter when summer time really would mean children walking to school in the dark, and there are a few weeks in early summer when sunlight bangs on our eyeballs far earlier than most of us want to be awake. All of this is worse farther from the equator, but there’s a point where daylight saving time probably just stops helping.
Most of our societies are computerized enough now that we could probably find a way to go back to longitude-based solar time or even something fancier based on dawn (which would have to be adjusted for very long or very short days). But before we start to come up with solutions, we need to understand the problem.
So. Are we upset with daylight savings time because it’s too early, its absence is too late, or is it the way we change the clocks that’s the real problem?
Hi! thanks for the thoughtful comment, definitely made me think. I think, on reflection, it's not so much whether it's too late or too early, but that the sudden change is jarring - so it's about the way we change the clocks that feels unnatural and creates a mini jetlag. I'm in NZ and our winter days are very short, I realise there will never be a mythical perfect balance. But it's the sudden change that removes our natural ability to adjust to the days getting shorter. I guess it's noticing that the seasons shift, the sun rises and sets but our clocks do something else entirely which makes it a difficult shift for our bodies. I'm not sure what the correct solution is, I don't want some new complex system either - but just some kind of solution that allows us to be more in line with the natural rhythm.
It always takes a couple of days to adjust... living in a village you really sense the nonsense of it though. Cows that are milked at certain times of day can't just be switched to match the hour on the clock, or like the crows who show up exactly as the sun is rising, all the animals move, or mooooo, with rhythm of the sun. It would be nice if we could one day do the same thing.
This is exactly it, nature doesnt change the clocks, the animals just keep going with their own natural rhythm
I also think daylight savings may not be necessary.
That was interesting!
For years, I used to start a month ahead, shifting my sleep/wake cycle by 15 minutes each week. That actually worked kind of well for the body and mind but it was still kind of disruptive, practically speaking. I highly recommend this to my students and to anyone who works full time.
Once I shifted to teaching online with the pandemic, I had more freedom. As an experiment one entire year I tried setting my alarm with the sun, advancing/retreating a couple of minutes every couple of days with the seasons. I simply went to bed 8 hours earlier. My body did better this way but it was a pain, from a practical standpoint.
From there, I went to simply going to bed when I got tired which, to my surprise, still, after over 6 decades of living on clock time, happened on a quite regular and therefore predictable schedule. I'd set my alarm to go off in 8h. That worked great healthwise except that twice a year I'd suddenly be out of sync with the entire rest of the country.
So this year I "ignored" Daylight Savings altogether, which I thought I could do since I still work from home and I'm naturally an early riser (my body thinks it's 5:47 a.m. standard time) but. . . that worked only up to a point. Because meetings and appointments and lunch dates and such remained on other people's schedules, meal times naturally shifted and so forth, and so it still threw my body for a loop this year.
I'm only just now starting to feel normal again. It's taken weeks, and I've felt like hell for most of them.
I've been thinking that I will let myself re-adopt a completely normal schedule this winter, while we are back on Standard Time, and take a more intentional approach to spring next year. Beyond that? I'll figure something out. Maybe go back to the sync-with-the-sun thing but include my work & meals schedule in regular seasonal shifts, too, try pinning my midday break to astronomical noon to anchor my day.
I love the sync with the sun idea or the slower approach to adjusting to the new time. Syncing with the sun sounds quite difficult from a more practical viewpoint but sounds like it would be so good for your body.
I've got a parrot and he syncs with the sun, as soon as the sun comes up he's awake and when sun goes down he goes "goodnight" 🙂
My bird,too! She insists I cover her at sundown. She's quiet in the mornings though because, of course, she's covered. Her room has heavy drapes, too, so cars don't scare her at night and just generally because of light pollution.
There's a lot we can learn from just how easily the connect with the natural rhythm. Daylight savings doesn't bother them at all 😅
I love your winter observations Sophie.
Modern life has pathologized natural rest, calling it ‘seasonal depression’ when maybe it’s just wisdom. Other mammals fatten, migrate, or hibernate. Well.......we drink pumpkin spice lattes and power through lol.
The hopeful part is that change happens exactly as you describe, when enough people stop pretending the emperor’s clothes fit. If 3.5% of workers started leaving at sunset in winter, or schools aligned with teenage circadian rhythms, we’d call it progress.
I definitely fatten up in winter as well 🤣🤣 but you are so right, I used to call it seasonal depression as well. Now I know better. You've actually just given me an idea for my next post
Yayyy I am inspiring people today 🤣
I look forward to reading it Sophie.
I’ve never really given daylight savings much thought but it’s so true, a real disrupter. That said, I really enjoyed the clocks springing forward this year.