Winter time is knocking on the door, next Sunday, October 28th and early morning of 29th, The Spanish will change the time on their clocks: on the peninsula, 3:00 will be 2:00 In the Canary Islands it is one hour shorter. Although 60 minutes may not seem too long at first glance, it time change It’s enough to make us feel a little confused for a few days, especially when we’re dealing with children or the elderly: Changes in sleep patterns, bad mood, apathy, anxiety… because? The answer lies in our circadian rhythms.
Synchronizing our biological clocks
“Circadian rhythms are biological cycles that last close to 24 hours and are the product of the circadian clock that synchronizes these rhythms (e.g., kidney function, plasma concentrations of hormones such as melatonin or cortisol, or cycles of wakefulness and sleep) with the external environment (e.g., light-dark cycles, mealtimes or social times),” explains Maria Jose Corrado Mateo, PhD in Psychology, Co-Director of the Cuarto de Contadores Center in Leganes.
“A child’s internal clock may take days or even a week to adjust, resulting in changes in wakefulness and sleep, appetite disturbances, irritability, attention problems, or Small changes in cardiovascular rhythmsaid Gonzalo Pin, a member of the Spanish Pediatric Association.
Pediatricians remember body has a central internal clock “Regulated by sunlight and environmental stimuli, such as diet and physical activity schedules. “This internal core clock adjustment affects hormone levels and our entire body’s daily cycles, so when the rhythm of external light or the rhythm of a task changes, you can become disoriented.”
To protect your child from the effects of time changes, it is recommended:
1. Gradually delay, In the week before the time change, engage in regular daily activities, such as eating, sleeping, or playing, every other 10 or 15 minutes, Make the transition smoother.must gradually delayed Regular activities, spaced 10 or 15 minutes apart.
For example, if your child goes to bed at 8:00, try putting him to sleep at 8:15 p.m. for two days, then add another quarter of an hour on two days, and so on until Try to get an hour to get him to bed by 9:00 p.m.. Instead, wake him up after a quarter of an hour the next morning, gradually working your way up to an hour later.
2. Take a nap In the days after the time change, help children push back their body clocks to stay awake before the new bedtime.
3. Exercise in the afternoon Conducive to rapid adjustment of children’s biological clock.
4. Prevent light from entering the child’s room With curtains or blinds. If the body detects sunlight, it sends a signal to our brain that it is daytime and we should be active. Therefore, your child is more likely to wake up.
5.It would be better if it is a smaller baby When he wakes up, don’t run to answer his call. Wait 10 minutes on the first day, then 20 minutes, and another 10 minutes on the third day.By the end of the week, you’ll be used to this new schedule, and You will wake up again at your usual time.