“We found that the autumn transition benefited health because it allowed people to sleep about 40 minutes more,” says Costa-i-Font. “People had more energy, and they felt better and happier.”
However overall, because of the negative effects of the spring clock change, there was still a significant cost to individual health and wellbeing. Costa-i-Font found that moving clocks forward in the spring decreased life satisfaction by around 1.44%, and had detrimental effects on sleep, feelings of fatigue, and stress. The study concluded that changing the clocks twice a year costs economies over €750 ($881, £655) per capita each year.
“Most people think that it doesn’t matter – after all it’s just an hour – but the problem is that everyone’s schedule shifts by an hour and that is disruptive,” says Costa-i-Font.
So, should we get rid of daylight saving time altogether? The European parliament voted to do just that in 2019 but has yet to implement the change. The problem is that different countries are divided on which time to set. The majority prefer summertime, however, that goes against what scientists recommend.
“Most circadian biologists take the view that that actually the winter clock times are probably better for us,” says Ray. (Read more about why we need more sleep during the winter).
In the darkness of autumn evenings, as we get ready to turn the clocks back, you can at least console yourself with the knowledge that darker evenings means better sleep, something we all need more of.
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