Clocks will be set one hour forward at 3:00am this coming morning as Moldova switches to summer time or Daylight Saving Time.

Dr. Victor Vovc, senior researcher at the Somnology Center, has told IPN many experts are against the switch to DST, which was introduced for economic reasons rather than with human wellbeing in mind. Medically, the shift can impact a person’s circadian rhythm and sleep quality, with the elderly being arguably the most affected. “We do the switch overnight into Sunday, at the weekend, so that we have time to adapt, but for the next week or so people will still feel the impact”, said the researcher.

“Everybody is dependent on sunlight, to a greater or lesser extent. But there are some 20 percent of people who are owls or larks and whose circadian rhythm is moved by two hours. And then in 2-3% of the population this is perceived as a 3- or even 4-hour switch. They are having a really hard time to adapt”, added Dr. Vovc.

For an easier adaptation to the time switch, it is recommended to maintain a proper sleep schedule. The recommended bedtime is until 11:00 p.m. The maximum secretion of the hormone melatonin, which induces and maintains sleep, begins by 9 p.m., and around 3 a.m. it begins to dwindle, gradually giving way to cortisol, the wake-up hormone. As for the diet, consumption of fatty foods and energy drinks should be avoided.

The first country to adopt summer time was Germany in 1916, followed by Great Britain, Belgium and Denmark. Moldova introduced it in 1931, when it was part of Romania, and then reintroduced it 1979, when part of the Soviet Union.