Summer time and winter time are the subject of annual discussions between supporters and opponents. In the last weekend of October it’s that time again: winter time starts. On the night from Saturday to Sunday, the clock is turned back an hour from 3 a.m. to 2 a.m. So we can sleep an hour longer until daylight saving time and daylight savings time start again. Every year, summer time and winter time pit supporters and opponents against each other, who bicker about the advantages and disadvantages. What are the advantages and disadvantages of winter time and summer time? And when do we switch to the next winter hour or summer hour?
Summer time changeover current
The next summer hour will start on Sunday, March 28, 2021. On the night of Saturday 27 to Sunday 28 March 2021 we will turn the clock forward one hour. So we will be able to sleep an hour less and from then on it will remain ready an hour longer in the evening.
Winter time changeover current
The next winter hour will start on Sunday, October 31, 2021. On the night of Saturday 30 to Sunday 31 October 2021, the clock will be turned back one hour. So we will have an hour more time to sleep, but from then on it will also get dark an hour faster in the evening.
What is winter time/winter time?
Winter time, or sometimes also called winter time, means that society turns the clock back one hour and therefore actually manipulates the time calculation. In Europe and most Western countries this is done on the night from Saturday to Sunday in the last weekend of October. At three o’clock the clock is turned back an hour to two o’clock. This way we can sleep an hour longer.
What is daylight saving time/daylight saving time?
Summer time is just the opposite: in this case the clock is turned forward an hour, so we actually lose an hour of sleep. Daylight saving time starts on the night from Saturday to Sunday of the last weekend of March. In that case it will take an hour longer to finish before darkness sets in. Two o’clock at night becomes three o’clock, so an hour is lost.
Why was daylight saving time introduced?
In the first half of the twentieth century, some European countries had already introduced summer time. But it was only after the 1973 oil crisis, and the quest for energy savings, that initiatives were set up to achieve a more widespread introduction of daylight saving time. The idea behind the introduction of summer time was to turn the clock forward an hour so that it would be ready longer. This would correspond more to the rhythm of human life and would allow more electricity and energy to be saved.
Benefits of summer time
Ready longer
Turning the clock forward one hour means it will take longer to finish. People can enjoy daylight longer to do activities, such as working in the garden or exercising. Children can play outside for longer and people will be able to spend more time outdoors.
Less electricity
Because people will spend more time in the open air, less electricity needs to be used for artificial light, television, etc. Saving energy is not only good for our financial situation but also for the environment. However, this so-called energy-saving effect is doubted by many critics.
Disadvantages of summer/winter time
Unhealthy?
By constantly changing from summer time to winter time and vice versa, people’s biorhythms are tested. It is not self-evident to sleep one hour less from one day to the next and be confronted with one hour less daylight. Some people suffer greatly from this abrupt change in day and night rhythm. Every time the time is changed, there are many opponents who denounce the negative consequences of winter time for our health.
Sleep problems
The setting of winter time can cause people to develop a disturbed sleep rhythm. They can still experience the consequences of a changed biorhythm for days or weeks after the start of winter time. The change to less daylight is also very abrupt: because humans are very dependent on daylight for their well-being, this sharp transition can cause feelings of discomfort and lethargy. All too often, the arrival of winter time also triggers the start of a new series of depressions.
Practical inconveniences and mistakes
People are only human and often forget things; They will therefore sometimes forget to switch to winter time or summer time at the right time. This can cause mistakes, misunderstandings and frustrations. It is not without reason that people arrive too early or too late for their appointment the day after a time change .
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