Uses of Time

Sleep and rest are key aspects in guaranteeing people’s health and well-being, but the current pace of life does not make it easy. In fact, in Spain, the lack of sleep is even more pronounced. A 2019 study by the World Economic Forum calculated that the Spanish population sleeps on average 20 minutes less than the citizens of the Eurozone countries.

The impact of lack of sleep on health is related to imbalances in the circadian rhythm, the internal clock that all human beings have and that regulates the proper functioning of multiple functions of the human body. This internal clock is coordinated through sunlight, mealtimes and sleep, among other things.

Circadian rhythm imbalances have been linked to health risks, such as increased overweight and poor diet quality, increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, or increased mental illness.

Given the importance of rest and sleep, in the framework of the Time Pact, 10 talks have been organised, one in each district of the city, to help citizens to adopt healthy time habits that favour the adjustment of their circadian rhythms.

The talks are part of the activities programmed by the City Council as World Capital of Time Policies and aim to raise awareness among citizens to promote healthy time habits, which will result in an improvement in their health and physical and mental wellbeing.

The talks have been given by Dr. Carla Estivill, director of research at the Estivill Sleep Foundation, and author of the recently published book “The Tokei Method”, where she explains how circadian rhythms work and how this impacts on health, as well as giving guidelines for healthier time habits.

The talks took place during the first quarter of 2023, in the following facilities:

•   Ciutat Vella – 25/01/2023, Casal Cívic de la Barceloneta
•   Nou Barris – 03/02/2023, Can Verdaguer
•   Sarrià Sant-Gervasi – 22/02/2023, CC Vil·la Florida
•   Horta-Guinardó – 24/02/2023, Casal del barri La Barraca del Carmel
•   Eixample – 01/03/2023, CC Fort Pienc
•   Sant Martí – 15/03/2023, Casal de gent gran Quatre Cantons
•   Gràcia – 22/03/2023, CC la Sedeta
•   Sants-Montjuïc – 24/03/2023, CC Cotxeres de Sants
•   Sant Andreu – 29/03/2023, CC Navas
•   Les Corts – 30/03/2023, Seu del districte de les Corts

The talk, which was made possible thanks to the collaboration between the Time Pact and the city’s districts, was accessible to more than a hundred people, who evaluated very positively the practical instructions for the improvement of rest and sleep.

If you were unable to attend the talk, you can watch the recording with sign language interpretation on the Uses of Time Youtube channel.