The Republic of Moldova switches to standard, winter time on the night of October 30. Clocks will be set back one hour and 4am will become 3am.

Psychiatrist of the Mental Health Community Center Ana Codreanu has told IPN that the time change affects the emotional state of people, with the sleep disruption being the biggest problem. “We have some biological clocks and reflexes. During half a year, we wake up at a particular hour and then we need to adjust to a new regime when the time is changed. This causes particular discomfort,” said the doctor.

To easier pass this period, it is recommended going to sleep at the same hour. The optima hour when one can get to sleep is 10pm. The people need 7-8 hours of sleep on average to be active and have the necessary bandwidth. The people should avoid eating late at night and should walk before going to sleep.

According to the psychiatrist, from 11am until 1pm the body secretes melatonin and somatotropin - the growth hormone for children which positively influences the metabolism of grownups too. “If we do not sleep in the period, we risk experiencing negative consequences, such as states of chronic tiredness and exhaustion. The persons who encounter persistent sleep problems and these do not disappear for a long period of time, of up to two weeks, they need to see a specialist,” stated Ana Codreanu.

In March 2019, the European Commission voted to abolish the time change starting with 2021. Up for EU countries is whether to stick to standard time or choose summer time.