The body is still on summer time: what does the switch to winter time do to us?

Last week we switched to winter time. Prof. Yaron Dagan explains how light and darkness affect the biological clock, mood, and seasonal depression, and why screens at night are more harmful than the time change itself.

Last week we switched to winter time, gaining an hour of sleep, but the days grew shorter and darkness arrives earlier. The adjustment takes only a few days, but the impact of light and darkness on physical and mental health has deeper implications. Prof. Yaron Dagan, a sleep medicine expert, explains that the human circadian cycle is longer than 24 hours, and light and darkness synchronize it. Special receptors in the eyes report light or darkness to the brain, and the pineal gland secretes melatonin – the hormone of darkness. Dagan notes that in northern countries, with long dark periods, the rate of seasonal depression is higher. The article emphasizes that screens at night are more harmful than the switch to winter time itself.

The body is still on summer time: what does the switch to winter time do to us?