What it’s about
Beginning this Friday, Israel will transition to daylight saving time, advancing clocks by one hour at 2:00 AM to gain extra daylight during the evenings. While this shift involves an initial loss of sleep, it brings about numerous benefits in mood enhancement, health, and leisure, far outweighing temporary disruptions.
Why it matters
Adopting daylight saving time not only desynchronizes biological clocks but introduces longer daylight hours that contrast with the usual constraints of work or school schedules. These extended daylight hours present critical opportunities for enhanced mental well-being, physical health through increased activity, and optimized vitamin D production.
The Bigger Picture
According to Dr. Michal Ronen of Clalit Health Services, the longer days resulting from daylight saving time naturally raise mood levels by boosting serotonin production, helping counteract winter-induced seasonal affective disorders (SAD). Additionally, exposure to more daylight supports vitamin D synthesis, key to bone health and immune system function.
Moreover, these changes promote outdoor physical activity, presenting avenues for improved physical fitness and metabolic function. The adjustment in daylight also encourages beneficial exposure to morning sunlight, which helps regulate hormone levels such as melatonin for improved sleep quality.
Readjustment Strategies
While recognizing sleep challenges, Dr. Miriam Fink-Lavi from Leumit Health Services suggests practical strategies to facilitate this transition to daylight saving time: reorganizing sleep schedules to achieve needed rest, reducing screen time before sleeping, fostering bedtime relaxation, and maximizing daylight exposure throughout the day. These adjustments promote well-being by efficiently synchronizing biological clocks.
In Perspective
Although the shift to daylight saving time creates a temporary adjustment period, the eventual benefits include increased active hours, happier moods, better health markers, and enhanced overall life quality. The general population stands to experience significantly improved lifestyle experiences with these extra hours of sunlit evening wonder.
This story was first published on ynetnews.com.