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This weekend the change to summer time arrives: at 2:00 am on the night of March 26 to 27, it will be 3:00 am. This advance of the time can cause some imbalances in our body, such as the alteration of our sleep routines, or the appearance of fatigue. That is why it is important to take into account a series of recommendations, especially if we are going to use our vehicle.
Summer time is a little better for driving because daylight hours are increasing at this time and for most of us it means leaving work in broad daylight, so we return home light, albeit fatigued. There are people who prefer to travel at night, but statistically, during daylight hours the probability of having an accident is lower.
According to Dr. María Consuelo Vilasánchez, a psychologist and member of Doctoralia “the time change affects our health more than we think, since we must adapt to a new schedule and, therefore, our biological rhythm has to adjust again” . And she adds: «The normal thing is that the first days we have a hard time adapting and we are more sleepy. In addition, that can lead to us being irritable and tired, or in a bad mood, restless, and anxious.
However, the time change usually produces quite a few side effects. This is so because we are getting up and going to bed an hour earlier than we have been doing. This alteration can affect some people, who may feel heavy, tired and/or sleepy and must take extreme precautions when getting behind the wheel.
As a general rule, and also applicable if we have to start driving a vehicle, Dr. Vilasánchez recommends in the first place not to get overwhelmed: «If the first few days we feel more irritable, tired or sleepy, let’s see it as something temporary that will last a few days until that we adapt To do this, we can do more relaxing activities that make us feel better, such as relaxation, meditation or yoga.
It is also convenient to gradually modify meal times. Thus, for a few days before the time change we can start to bring meals forward: First, a quarter of an hour before, then half an hour and finally, three quarters, in order to arrive more adapted.
With the time change we will have to go to sleep earlier, so to be sleepy at night we can avoid naps the first few days, avoid stimulating drinks two hours before going to sleep and be proactive, progressively advancing bedtime during the week previous.
Although it may not seem important, the use of technological devices must be avoided, since according to María Consuelo Vilasánchez «It is a stimulating activity that will not allow us to rest. Therefore, it is important to avoid its use in the two hours before going to sleep.
By setting the clocks back an hour, when driving early in the day or late at night we can find that the sun’s rays are very low, making visibility difficult. Having the right sunglasses is important. It will be key to drive more carefully (lower speed, greater safety distance) and check that the lighting system works correctly, adjusting it correctly, as well as keeping the windows of the car clean.
For a few weeks it is very likely that you will have to travel to and from work at twilight or in the dark. It is not enough to have the lights in good working order, we must also use them correctly, not only to see but also to be seen correctly.
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