On the night between Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th October we will return to solar time: an extra hour of sleep, they say. But at what price? The ritual of moving the hands – forward in spring, back in autumn – may be much less harmless than it seems.
The Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (Sima) and Non-Profit Consumerism launch an appeal: no more time changes, yes to permanent summer time. And this is not a battle of principle. According to experts, the alternation between summer and winter time alters our circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates sleep, blood pressure and mood. “The human body – Alessandro Miani, president of Sima, explained in a statement – does not adapt immediately: sixty minutes of difference is enough to create imbalances that affect concentration, efficiency and even cardiac health”.
The issue seems anything but marginal. A group of researchers from Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) observed a 4% increase in heart attacks in the week following the switch to standard time. And it doesn’t end there: tiredness and inattention can contribute to more traffic and workplace accidents. In fact, during the summer time months, up to 13% fewer accidents involving pedestrians are recorded, thanks to greater visibility in the evening hours.
Even psychological well-being is affected by the time change. Research conducted by Victoria University (Australia) reported a small but significant increase in suicides in the first few weeks after the change. And crime tends to intensify with the early darkness of winter evenings: less light, more opportunities for crimes.
In addition to the effects on health and safety, summer time continues to prove to be an ally of the environment and pockets. In 2022, according to Terna data, it made it possible to save 420 million kilowatt hours in seven months, avoiding the emission of approximately 200 thousand tons of CO₂. Translated: lighter bills and cleaner air.
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It is therefore not surprising that over 350 thousand Italians have already signed the online petition to maintain summer time all year round. An initiative that also looks to Europe: since 2018, in fact, the European Parliament has left member states free to choose whether to permanently adopt solar or summer time.
Sima estimates that maintaining summer time would lead to energy savings of up to one billion euros in the first two years alone. An extra hour of light every day would mean less gas consumption, less fossil fuels, more sustainability.
Perhaps the time has come to ask ourselves whether it is really worth continuing to move the clock twice a year.
Sources: Karolinska Institutet / Victoria University
