Time change More than one in four has health problems

Start of winter time: Time change causes health problems for every fourth person

It's time again this coming weekend: during the night from Saturday to Sunday, the clocks are reset from three o'clock to two o'clock. And like every half year, the time change will again cause health problems for many people. The majority of Germans oppose the recurring changeover.

Burden on the health

Every half year it's that time again: the time change is coming up. Summertime ends this weekend. During the night from Saturday to Sunday, the clocks are reset from three o'clock to two o'clock. From then on, the winter time applies again. Although some are happy about the extra hour of sleep, the time change puts a strain on your health. As shown in a recent survey, the majority of Germans are against the recurrent changeover.

At the weekend, the clocks are switched from summer to winter time. The time change causes health problems for more than one in four Germans. Most people want the transition to be abolished. (Image: Johanna Mühlbauer / fotolia.com)

Number of conversion opponents at a new high

While the countries of the European Union are discussing the abolition of the time change, people in Germany continue to grow aversion to the clock - and reach a new high with 80 percent of opponents.

This is shown by a representative Forsa survey commissioned by the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit, for which more than 3,500 people were surveyed nationwide.

Only 17 percent of Germans consider the time change to make sense - in the past year, there were still 25 percent.

About one in two would like to permanently enjoy summer time in Germany. The main reason is that it is longer in the evening.

However, more than one in three prefers summer time because he believes she is healthier for the body.

More than one in four Germans reports health problems

More than one in four (28 percent) reported in the survey of health problems after the time change.

Most of those affected - 79 percent - feel tired or tired. 62 percent already had problems with falling asleep or staying asleep. 39 percent could concentrate worse, 28 percent were irritated.

One in ten (nine percent) even had a depressive mood. Especially people between the ages of 45 and 59 years and women suffer from the time change.

Tiredness and sleep disorders

The fact that the time change can actually lead to health problems is also confirmed time and again by health experts who point out that many people in the first few days after increased headache, lack of concentration, dizziness, fatigue and sleep disorders.

In addition, the change is, according to Danish scientists, the cause of significantly more depression.

And Finnish researchers found in a study that the time change can cause a high risk of stroke.

Abolition of the time change

According to the EU Commission, the clocks will be presented for the last time in all European Union countries in summertime this coming March.

Subsequently, the individual countries should decide whether to switch back to winter time in autumn 2019 or stay in summer time.

"The abolition of the time change is correct and important," emphasizes DAK chief executive Andreas Storm.

"Many people are constantly changing," says the expert.

"At the European level, the course must now be set swiftly so that there is clarity before the European elections in May 2019." (ad)