Setting the clocks in Ukraine: somnologist tells how the seasonal transition affects Ukrainians

On the night of October 27, Ukraine will switch to "winter" time by setting its clocks back one hour. Switching to winter time is the best option from a biological point of view, as humans function according to standardized winter time, and daylight saving time is an artificially created system that disrupts the body's internal clock. This was stated by somnologist Daria Pylypenko to UNN journalist.

Details

According to Pylypenko, from the point of view of biology and evolution, the standard time for humans and their nature is "winter" time, not "summer" time, which is artificially created.

"A person could not fully adapt to daylight saving time. He or she lost an average of 50 minutes of sleep during these 7 months. It's good that we have finally listened to the majority of the international community, because the American Sleep Research Society, European sleep researchers, all advocate that we should cancel daylight saving time, because it is absolutely inappropriate from a health point of view and from an economic point of view. On the other hand, if you look at the risk zones, or how it will affect... in any case, changing the clocks has a negative impact on people, because we have to cross this fairway. Resetting the clocks has a negative impact, because a person's circadian rhythm will be thrown off," Pylypenko said.

According to her, changing the hands of the clock creates desynchronization.

"That is, we eat at the same time, our body temperature decreases in accordance with the fluctuations of the biological clock, blood pressure, heart rate. It's all regulated by our internal biological clock. It is these circadian rhythms that control the change of day and night. We can't just force ourselves to fall asleep because it's that time of day. Or we can't wake up because, for example, it's six o'clock, not seven. We will either get up unrefreshed or wake up earlier when the clocks change.

This is precisely the discrepancy that is very difficult for many people to experience. Normally, a healthy person adapts to the new time within 24-48 hours. But only if they are absolutely healthy, and provided that there is no lack of sleep. Ukrainians all have a lack of sleep. We all lose sleep because of our sick neighbor. We are all automatically at risk because we are all sleep deprived. We are in prolonged stress, which depletes the nervous system," the somnologist added.

She noted that Ukrainians will feel the effects of the time change next Monday.

"Of course, there will be consequences. First of all, on Monday, because we get up at the new time. We go to bed according to the old time, but still get up according to the new time. Eating, going to the restroom, etc. will still be regulated by the old rhythm. Yes, they say that we will have an hour more to sleep, but the circadian rhythm is added to us by light. And light is a sensor. As it hits the retina intensely, the brain receives information that it is day or night," said Pylypenko.

Addendum

Time change in Ukraine is regulated by the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 509 of May 13, 1996 "On the Procedure for Calculating Time in Ukraine". It states that the second time zone has been introduced in Ukraine, with the clocks being set back annually: on the last Sunday of March at 3 o'clock, 1 hour forward and on the last Sunday of October at 4 o'clock, 1 hour back.

In 2011, the Verkhovna Rada made its first attempt to abolish daylight saving time by adopting Resolution No. 3914, which provided for the retention of daylight saving time in Ukraine.

However, this caused dissatisfaction in the western part of Ukraine, due to the disadvantage of waking up too early, as the solar time there is sharply different from the 3rd time zone. It was argued that such a time would primarily harm children attending schools and kindergartens.

The Rada subsequently recognized the resolution as invalid. Rumors of a new abolition of daylight saving time began in 2012. There were arguments that the abolition would be convenient for Euro 2012.

In October 2020, the current speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, introduced a bill to the parliament that would have abolished the change to "winter" and "summer" time.

The adoption of the law, according to Stefanchuk, "should ensure the protection of the territorial integrity and strengthening of Ukraine's national security, since, as you know, the time of the aggressor state, the Russian Federation, is established in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Therefore, the establishment and consolidation of a single Kyiv time throughout Ukraine, without exception, will in turn strengthen Ukraine's security position and contribute to the de-occupation and reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories.

The document was considered by the Verkhovna Rada only six months later. The draft law was adopted as a basis with a shortened preparation period, as the document provided that Ukraine should remain in "winter" time. However, a few days later, the bill was sent back for a second reading.

The bill was considered in parliament only 3 years later. On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passes Bill No. 4201 to abolish daylight saving time in Ukraine.

According to the law, seasonal time change is not implemented in Ukraine, and should come into force on January 1, 2025. This means that Ukraine should remain in "winter" time.

In September, the draft law was submitted to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But it has recently become known that Zelenskyy does not intend to sign the law abolishing seasonal daylight saving time. This decision is reportedly due to possible economic losses and petitions from citizens.