Goodbye to bright, late evenings with wine on the terrace. Hello to the dark and cocoa on the sofa, wearing pyjamas. On the night of Sunday, we set the clock back one hour. It is the very symbol that winter is on the way, and Norwegians can sleep an hour longer. From full debate to not a peep Do we want to set the clock twice a year? Should we go for summer time or winter time? Well-known topic in the same thread, which has kept the discussion going among researchers and non-researchers for a number of years. In 2019, the researchers won, when the EU decided to introduce a year-round standard time, which has also been a topic several times in Norway. Then came Brexit, the corona pandemic and the war in Ukraine. It has been quiet, and tomorrow we will all set the clocks again. Now the question is to what extent it will be winter time or summer time all year round. Is it okay if we set the clock to winter time now? No. Ugh, I’ve been dreading this. Yes. Add an hour more to your sleep bank! I simply don’t care. Time is time. Show result War as the cause of a two-part annual rhythm Setting the clock is a modern invention, which in no way arose because most people wanted to distinguish between winter and summer. In fact, it is war that is the reason why the practice first arose. ARCHIVE: Jacob Kjøde during loading of coal at the quay at Hotellneset. Photo: Erling J. Nødtvedt It was precisely during the First World War that the Germans introduced the practice. Why? To save energy. The idea was to save coal to have more for the war machine. By setting the clock, the workers could get more of the day, and thus more light, during the time they worked. Today, almost all countries in Europe have both winter time and summer time, while Iceland is one of the few countries that has the same time all year round. Land with summer time regrets Elisabeth Flo-Groeneboom researches sleep and is professor of clinical psychology at the University of Bergen. According to her, professionals and most people agree that it is a good idea not to set the clock. However, opinions are divided when it comes to what time one should go. Most people generally vote for summer time, while professionals vote for winter time. RHYTHM: – Sleep is regulated by circadian rhythm, and circadian rhythm is adjusted to the social rhythm of light, which is the most important time source for our biological clocks, says Flo-Groeneboom. Photo: Julia Marie Naglestad / news – It is best to stay in winter time because you get more light in the morning, which is important to ensure that you get enough sleep and maintain the circadian rhythm, Flo-Groeneboom believes. – Why should one go for winter time if most people want summer time? – Experience has shown that countries that have tried summer time regret it and switch to winter time. This is probably due to the fact that, from a public health perspective, permanent winter time is probably best. – So people need daylight in the morning. At the same time, the counter-argument about more activity on bright afternoons is real. No matter what one goes for, it will be important to look at the consequences, says Flo-Groeneboom. WINTER: – One tends to forget that in Norway we want it to be bright for quite a long time in the summer, even though the standard time is winter time. Photo: Thijs / Colourbox This is advice against winter For some, winter is more challenging than others. Sleep researcher Elisabeth Flo-Groeneboom offers this advice to all Norwegians: Don’t underestimate the light. Be outside in daylight as much as you can. Treat yourself a little extra and enjoy the things that make the dark time beautiful. For those who live in the north of the country and struggle a little extra, it may be wise to invest in a so-called light lamp for extra light. She also offers some concrete advice for parents of young children when you have to set the clock: For parents of young children, it is a time when children wake up even earlier than usual. She advises weaning the child gradually. Put the toddlers to bed a quarter to half an hour later, and leave the light on as long as you can in the morning. To the extent you can. – It can mean that you may not have to sit for two weeks at five in the morning and wait for the kindergarten to start, she concludes.
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Setting the clock back one hour despite the decision to remove the practice – news Nordland
