Daylight Saving Time is a controversial topic that divides people into proponents and opponents.
The extra hour of daylight in the evening during Daylight Saving Time basically allows for more outdoor activities. Supporters of Daylight Saving Time also argue that it reduces energy consumption because people can enjoy an extra hour of natural daylight during the day, reducing the need for artificial lighting and thus electricity consumption.
Opponents of Daylight Saving Time primarily argue that the time change disrupts our sleep-wake cycle, which can lead to decreased productivity and concentration, and even health problems. For example, some studies suggest that the time change leads to an increase in accidents, especially in the days immediately following the time change.
Some argue that the benefits outweigh the risks, while others believe that the negative effects of the time change outweigh the potential benefits. The debate on the pros and cons of Daylight Saving Time is therefore complex and divided.
Whether you are for or against it, Daylight Saving Time moves the clocks forward for all of us by one hour, which initially means sleeping an hour less.
Until our internal clocks adjust to the new time, our bodies will continue to operate on the old time for several days, resulting in a kind of jet lag.
Even frequent flyers know the physical strain of flying into a different time zone, especially when traveling east.
But what do Daylight Saving Time and eastbound flights have in common?
Because we lose an hour of sleep when we switch to daylight saving time, this time change is more taxing on our bodies than when we gain an hour of sleep - as we do when we switch to winter time.
When we fly east, we experience a similar disruption to our internal clock because we also lose time on these flights. But when we fly west, it's the other way around, because the day gets longer.
Theoretically, the key to a smoother transition would be to fly west to offset the negative effects of Daylight Saving Time on our bodies.