What are the social effects of time zones?

More generally, people on the late sunset side of a time zone boundary are more likely to be sleep deprived, more likely to sleep less than 6 hours, and less likely to sleep at least 8 hours. The effects are greater among people with early working hours and among people with school-age children.

Why is it important to have time zones?

A time zone is a region that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial and social purposes. It is convenient for areas in close commercial or other communication to keep the same time, so time zones tend to follow country borders and their subdivisions.

What would life be like without time zones?

"You would be more in tune with circadian rhythms because the local times would be set according to the sun or local social habits, which would be geared by the sun more than time zones—there would be no time zones, so the problem goes away," says Hanke .

What happens when you live on a time zone line?

"Individuals on the late sunset side of a time zone boundary are more likely to be sleep deprived, more likely to sleep less than 6 hours, and less likely to sleep at least 8 hours," the authors write.

What happens when you move to another time zone?

When you travel to another time zone, there is a dramatic shift in your exposure to light and a misalignment of your body's sense of day and night. In general, it can take one day per time zone changed before circadian rhythms and sleep become synchronized.

What if the world had no time zone?

If we didn't have time zones, noon would be noon in some places, morning in others, and night in others. If you believe in a spherical Earth, this would make sense since the sun's light does not hit the Earth instantly.

What happens when you live between two time zones?

People who live further west in a time zone experience fewer days of natural morning light. As a result, they depend on electric light to get ready for work and other daily activities. Brighter colors mean more mornings a year in light. This new study looks at discontinuities across time zone boundaries.

How does crossing time zones affect your body?

Crossing time zones affects sleep, body temperature, alertness, cognitive performance, digestion and hormones, but there are ways to minimize the impact. Timed exposure to bright light and trying to eat meals, exercise or sleep at the appropriate time for the new time zone can help.

How do time zones affect visitors when they travel?

Time zones are areas of the earth that have adopted the same time standard. These affect visitors, as when people travel they will have to wake up and go to bed at different times, which can mess up your body clock.

How does living on the wrong side of a time zone affect your sleep?

"Individuals on the late sunset side of a time zone boundary are more likely to be sleep deprived, more likely to sleep less than 6 hours, and less likely to sleep at least 8 hours," the authors write. "The effects are greater among people with early working hours and among people with school-age children."

How does the time zone affect international business?

Setting the same time zone for a partner makes it easier to trade, as the opening hours match. Different time zones force companies to account for time zone conversion when dealing with international business and can have a negative impact on worker productivity. Spain is a country experiencing such problems.