Seasonal Clock Changes Suck
BPS RESEARCH DIGEST: Our bodies fail to adjust to seasonal clock changes.
I promised to throw some random rant now and then and here it is. The above link will send you to BPS Research Digest and a a research with a 55.000 people sample proving what every one of us who faces sleeping disorders already knows: the body CANNOT addapt to seasonal clock changes. Your circadian rythm is perturbated. Your energy is lost, your head is foggy and you can’t sleep at night. After some weeks you’ll maybe start looking like Christian Bale in The Machinist
The result of a few sleepless nights
If you think of all the lost time-schedules you’ll quickly gain a first impression of the money lost because of this stupid practice. Cows won’t make milk earlier, nor will crops start to grow faster. We simply change our clocks for no reason at all! We literally jet-lag ourselves. If you suffer from sleep-related problems this can be detrimental to your health and well-being.
The funniest thing about this whole procedure is how many people will claim they get more daylight and how they say that they don’t understand any difference concerning their sleep cycles. Concerning the first, the day cannot stretch itself (unless you’re moving with the speed of light), nor will you gain any more daylight. You just wake up one hour earlier, something you could have already done during winter-time, already. Concerning the second, it reminds me of Road Runner.
Roadrunner says "beep-beep"
Now, before you think that I’ve flipped over by the lack of sleep, let me explain for a few seconds. If you’ve ever seen Road Runner, you’ll see that this kind of humor is usually focused around a certain element: the violation of the laws of physics. Some of these times, the violations occur once the coyote notices that he violates them. For example, he walks over a chasm, and falls only once he notices that he walks on air.
This kind of humor is typical of case of egocentrism as Freud and Jean Piaget had described it. What this means, is that the person feels that the cause of all effects is internal, it stems from himself. The coyote won’t fall unless he realizes that he is standing on the void. The BPS Research Digest also offers a research on egocentrism and the evaluation of visibility in very young children (“If I cover my eyes I’ll be hidden” – how young children understand visibility).
So, this is pretty much what those who believe that the clock change has no effect on their bodies. Just because you change your clock, you didn’t change time. The human body has its own laws. Time has its own, too. And, apparently, so do the stupid western goverments who continue to use this practice.
Perhaps, if I continue to have more sleepless nights I’ll be inspired by another Christian Bale movie and take the things into my own hands.
The Dark Knight ready to fight insomnia induced by seasonal clock changes
Further Reading:
Daylight Saving Time Disrupts Humans’ Natural Circadian Rythm
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Obviously I agree. Slightly nit-picking, but the human body “can” adapt to seasonal time shifts, the gradual changing of day length etc, but clearly it takes more than one day to adjust! A gradual seasonal shift is the natural fact, an enforced hour of jetlag for everyone twice a year every year is just stupid. You were too kind to the fools who implemented and support it.
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:37 am
I think you are right. This whole thing is simply social inertia. There is no other reason for changing our clocks than simple stupid habit.
August 18th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
pointless
February 18th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
hi i love roadrunners very much because there really fast and speedy.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
i love roadrunner
April 29th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
I love him too
May 28th, 2009 at 2:14 am
WOW