Winter Time Change Affects Sleep, Mood, and Eating Habits
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Israel's transition to winter time this Sunday, involving a one-hour clock rollback, is expected to impact sleep, mood, and eating habits. Experts advise maximizing morning light exposure and adjusting meal times to mitigate disruptions to the body's internal clock. The change can also affect skin health and mood, with recommendations to increase daylight exposure and maintain regular routines.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Winter time change in Israel may disrupt sleep, appetite, and mood due to the body's adjustment to a new schedule.
- Maximizing natural morning light exposure is recommended to help resynchronize the body's internal clock.
- Earlier sunsets can influence eating habits, potentially leading to increased evening consumption and weight gain.
- Reduced daylight in winter can contribute to "winter blues" and affect overall mood and energy levels.
- Experts advise adjusting meal times earlier and maintaining regular routines to ease the transition.
As Israel switches to winter time on Sunday, clocks will be set back one hour at 2 AM, granting an extra hour of sleep. However, this change can disrupt the body's internal clock, affecting sleep patterns, appetite, and mood, according to medical experts. Professor Fahad Hakim, Director of the English Hospital in Nazareth and a sleep medicine expert, explains that while winter time aligns better with natural light cycles, the body's biological clock takes time to adjust. This can lead to temporary disorientation, manifesting as fatigue, changes in hunger, and difficulty sleeping. He notes that the body may continue to wake at its usual biological time, which will now be an hour earlier according to the clock.
Hakim also points to modern lifestyle factors like light pollution and screen time as contributing to a "social jet lag," a disconnect between our biological and social clocks. He advises maximizing natural light exposure in the morning to help resynchronize the body's internal clock. For young children, gradual adjustments to sleep and wake times are recommended before the time change.
Nutrition expert Ronit Friedman highlights that the earlier sunset can influence eating habits, potentially leading to increased evening consumption and weight gain. Studies suggest that eating meals later in the day, closer to bedtime, can negatively impact metabolism and appetite regulation. Friedman recommends adjusting meal times earlier according to the new clock and incorporating regular physical activity. She also advises consuming meals rich in tryptophan and complex carbohydrates to support mood and satiety, and opting for warm, filling foods.
Dermatologist Dr. Mohamed Sah notes that the shift to colder weather can exacerbate skin dryness and irritation due to reduced natural moisture and increased use of heating. He recommends short, lukewarm showers, avoiding harsh soaps, and consistent moisturizing, especially after bathing.
Psychiatrist Dr. Ehud Rozitzky discusses the impact of reduced daylight on mood, linking shorter days to increased instances of "winter blues" and, in more severe cases, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). He emphasizes the importance of light exposure, particularly in the morning, and physical activity to combat these effects. While Israel has more daylight than northern countries, the change can still affect mood, especially for those with pre-existing mental health conditions.
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