Biorhythm suffers from time change

Summer time: Biorhythm suffers from time change

23/03/2011

The changeover to summer time disturbs the biorhythm and increases the risk of accidents. Auto Club Europe (ACE) has announced that in the past five years in April, the number of accidents has always increased significantly in relation to March. The ACE for this is due to disturbances of biorhythms due to the time change and general spring fatigue.

On March 27, 2011 at 2:00 clock in the morning, the clocks presented by one hour. The abrupt change in sleep times bothers the biorhythm, leading to an increased accident risk in road traffic due to lack of concentration, warns the ACE. In April, the first month with summer time, significantly more accidents were recorded in recent years than in March. Therefore, road users should be extra careful during this time.

Danger of accidents significantly increased after the time change
In the past few years, the ACE has found a trend in the evaluation of the accident statistics of the Federal Statistical Office, where more injuries were recorded in April than in March. In 2010, the increase was 21 percent from 20,481 to 25,751 accidents, compared with 29 percent more accidents in April than in March. According to the ACE, this is due to the so-called mini-jet lag, which results from the conversion of the clocks. The biorhythm is disturbed, the fatigue and the lack of concentration increase, warned the ACE. In addition, the body must currently attune to the warmer temperatures and other lighting conditions anyway, said the ACE on. Overall, the time conversion costs strength and could lead to dangerous microsleep at the wheel, which often announces itself at an early stage by violent or repeated yawning, warned the experts.

Lack of concentration, fatigue, headache due to time change
The changeover from the normal time (the current so-called winter time) to the summer time was introduced in Germany in 1980, not least because of the conviction that the summer time allows better use of daylight and corresponding energy savings. Most of the neighboring countries had already introduced a corresponding time change under the impact of the 1973 oil crisis. But summertime has many opponents today. They demand the abolition and refer - similar to the ACE in the accident figures - on the negative impact on the biorhythm. For example, in the initial phase after the time change, lack of concentration, fatigue, headache, inner restlessness, irritability, and gastrointestinal problems are relatively common symptoms. In addition, according to the statistics of the German Employees' Health Insurance Fund (DAK), in the first three days after the time change, the risk of suffering a heart attack increased significantly (by about 20 percent). For example, the number of accidents published by the ACE apparently only reflects the general biorhythm disturbances. However, they should not be ignored as a sign of the negative effects of the time change, as the impairments, in particular in the area of ​​concentration, appear to be more widespread than expected.

Road users should be extra careful
If the clocks are presented next Sunday and everyone lacks one hour of sleep, according to ACE, due to the possible lack of concentration, especially in traffic, extra caution is required. Especially on the day immediately after the time change, road users should take particular care, as the risk of accidents is then particularly high, warned the ACE. Anyone who feels tired when driving should regularly take breaks and stay in the fresh air, the experts explained. According to the ACE, gymnastic exercises can also help to keep the circulation going and eliminate fatigue. In addition, sleep researchers recommend to change the biorhythm a few days before the actual time change slowly. Bringing the evening meal forward, going to bed a little earlier and getting up earlier is a good opportunity to adjust your own biorhythm in advance of the time change. (Fp)

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Picture: Friedrich Spring