Energy savings and the repercussions on health focus the arguments, for and against, on the seasonal change of time, which is not carried out all over the world.
It has been decided in Mexico to cancel summer time, which, although not harmful in itself, is associated with alterations in the circadian rhythm, according to specialists consulted by Expansión.
The plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies approved the elimination of summer time in Mexico. In voting, the opinion obtained 445 votes in favor, eight against and 33 abstentions. The initiative was approved in general and in particular.
What is daylight saving time, when and why was it introduced?
The idea of time change was first suggested by American scientist and diplomat Benjamin Franklin in the 30th century. In the early 1916th century, English builder William Willett devised daylight saving time to give Londoners more daylight hours. But it was Germany that put the theory into practice, in the midst of World War I: on April XNUMX, XNUMX, Kaiser Wilhelm II decreed daylight saving time to save fuel.
Several nations currently observe daylight saving time. In Mexico it was officially established in 1996. Within the reasons for advancing the clock one hour, an attempt was made to take advantage of the sunlight in the different properties such as houses and buildings to save energy.
Will daylight saving time disappear in Mexico?
The proposal to eliminate the time change was proposed by Morena, specifically by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who considers that the winter time should be maintained.
Since last June, the Chief Executive sent an initiative to Congress to eliminate summer time on the grounds that 71 percent of citizens reject it and only .16 percent of national electricity consumption is saved.
The proposal, of 27 pages, establishes five points by which it intends to replace the current law with a new one. According to the document, the initiative will be valid throughout the national territory, with the exception of the municipalities located on the northern border.
Why does the Mexican government want to remove the time change?
The current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, made this resolution in order to avoid the "fatigue" and "irritability" that the population suffers when the time changes.
Also within the reasons that the government has reported is the minimum energy savings and the potential damage to health that this could cause.
How does daylight saving time affect health?
The time change, whose objective is to save energy, has repercussions on people's circadian rhythm, so that it is on both aspects, energy and health, that the arguments pivot, for and against, moving clocks forward and backward.
Hypertension, obesity, lack of concentration and depression are other problems reported in the scientific literature due to alterations in the natural schedules of sleep and activity.
Explained from the scientific side
“Human beings have a biological clock that is organized according to light and dark periods, and this makes it better for us to have activities during the day and not at night”
And precisely the biological clock, located in the region of the brain called the hypothalamus, regulates most of the circadian rhythms and its modification leads to imbalances. Situations such as working night shifts, jet lag or lack of sleep cause damage to health.
These alterations, also known as circadian desynchronization, are linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes.
“Short sleep duration could be a significant risk factor for diabetes. The association between long sleep duration and diabetes incidence is most likely due to some unmeasured confounding factor, such as poor sleep quality."
What time will be left without daylight saving time?
The current summer time will end next Sunday, October 30, 2022, at 2:00 a.m., at which time the clock must be set back one hour.
That is, winter time will start that same day, but after 2:00.
In conclusion, daylight saving time can come and go, depending on political circumstances, but sleeping at night and working during the day does not come and go, but prevails like a physiological law, and whoever does not follow it can pay the cost in the detriment of your health.