Uses of Time

>> Misaligned circadian rhythms affect our health and our individual and collective well-being. Chronobiology helps us find solutions, by addressing daily time uses, from different health perspectives.
>> At this year’s Annual Time Agreement Meeting we will discuss the effects of chronobiology on our health and the configuration of our cities.

Chronobiology is an interdisciplinary specialization of biology that aims to study the biological rhythms of living organisms during a given period, usually twenty-four hours. These cycles are known as biological clocks and, in the human case, as circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are then the set of internal clocks that regulate the cycles of night and day and the physiological processes that must accompany them.

This topic will be addressed at the Annual Meeting of Time Agreement organisations on December 3, with Sandra Giménez, Sleep Physician at Sant Pau Hospital, Dr. Camille Lassale, ISGlobal Researcher and Coordinator of the circadian health group, and Imma Cortés, Head of the Health and Work Service at the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB). This expert panel will focus on the negative effects of chronobiological misalignment on people’s health and the functioning of cities, as well as on the actions organisations and public entities can promote to mitigate the negative effects.

Sleeping well to prevent diseases.
As explained by Sandra Giménez, sleep physician at the San Pau Hospital in Barcelona, ​​​​in the framework of the XXVII Congress of the Spanish Sleep Society (SES), up to 15% of the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is due to sleep disorders.

The expert pointed out the “need” to maintain good sleep hygiene with regular schedules and without long naps; she also highlighted the importance of having an active life during daylight hours so that our biological rhythms function in a synchronized way. “Sleep modulates learning and memory, so if we do not sleep well there is an alteration of this cognitive performance and this can be the prelude to many cognitive disorders,” said the sleep doctor.

Mealtime matters.
An example of how the time of our meals influences our health is shown by a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). This study shows that two specific habits are associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) in the long term: fasting for longer at night and having an early breakfast. “Our results, in line with those of other recent studies, suggest that lengthening the night fast could help maintain a healthy weight as long as it is accompanied by an early dinner and early breakfast,” explains Dr Lassale, co-author of the study.

Increase in work-related anxiety and depressive disorders.
According to data from the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) and other studies on occupational mental health in Catalonia carried out by the ILO, mental health disorders among workers, which have increased in 2023, are closely related to long hours and atypical schedules, such as night work, which increase stress and anxiety, alter circadian rhythms, affect sleep and mood and make it difficult to balance work and personal life.

This shows the need for better working time management, considering its adaptation to our circadian rhythms, to improve individual and collective health and well-being in our organisations and cities.

If you want to know more about chronobiology, we encourage you to attend the Annual Meeting of Time Agreement on December 3rd. You can register by sending an email to: pactedeltemps@bcn.cat