There are studies that prove that Spain sleeps the less, works the most, and is one of the least productive countries in Europe. The objective of his proposal was for Spaniards to enjoy a better schedule like the rest of the countries in Greenwich Time. In addition to all of this, in 2016 former president, Mariano Rajoy proposed to get Spain’s time zone back to GMT. It is called the “Comisión Nacional para la Racionalización de Horarios Españoles” or National Commission for the Rationalization of Spanish Schedules. It is such an important issue in Spain that we have our own time zone commission. These were and are ways to adapt to the random decisions of a man.Ĭurious to know more? I think this video explains it pretty well. It’s not that we are laid-back (at least not always), or actually sleeping past 11 pm. That is why Spaniards are known for having a unique lifestyle. When WWII was over, he could have changed them back, but he didn’t. Not very nice for those who like sleeping!ĭon’t you think is shocking? The word of ONE man had the power to move hours. This means that he changed Spain’s time an hour later. So, in solidarity with his allies, Franco changed the country’s schedule from GMT to CET. You guessed right, Francisco Franco is responsible for our 70 years of jet lag.Īfter the Spanish Civil War, the country was devastated and received lots of help from Hitler and Mussolini. The word of ONE man changed the schedule of a WHOLE country. BUT, and I know this is not a surprise for you anymore. Before WWII Spain would live under GMT like the UK, Portugal, and Morocco. GMT changes to British Summer Time, while CET becomes the Central European Summer Time. What do they do? The time managers add the word “summer” to the time zone name. Wanna know something curious? The countries that use these time zones need to change them every summer ‘cause they have more daylight. They are both time zones, and the main difference is that GMT can be used by any country while the CET is applicable to 31 nations. GMT stands for Greenwich Meridian Time while CET means Central European Time. This culture of being late-nighters is the fault of a man that dared to play with time zones.īut before we dive into this, let me tell you about GMT and CET. Now that you know when… you might wonder “Why? Why on Earth would you go to sleep sooo late?” Well, in our defense it’s not our fault. What’s the Reason Behind Our Late Nighters? We actually have three theories on the origin of these traditions, I’m gonna leave it for you right here. The “siesta” or our 2-hour lunch break was our ancestor’s way to adapt to different changes in their life. Does the word “siesta” ring a bell? I believe it is another custom for which we are very known. But we have found ways to live through it. So the average sleep time goes around 7.10 hours during weekdays. Again, according to the CIS, almost 80% of Spanish wake up between 7:00 and 8:00. It seems one person is getting a night of good sleep! Spaniards are not getting enough sleepĪs if sleeping late isn’t enough, we are also big fans of the phrase “a quién madruga, Dios lo ayuda” (who gets up early, God helps him, this sounds better in Spanish). And according to the Sociology Research Center (CIS), 3 out 4 Spanish go to sleep past 23:00. No sleep doctor would be happy about this. Spanish people usually go to bed between 23:00 and 01:00. That picture is in Cabo de Gata Almería at 8:45 pm. Believe or not, we make plans to go to the beach at 7 pm. But seriously, sip a bit of coffee, and let me tell you why we sleep SOOO late. We have been living in a sleep-deprived culture for around 70 years.Īnd if you are planning to visit, study, or work in the country, you should know you’ll probably sleep less than you already do.ĭon’t snooze! I am watching you! I sleep way less than you do, and I am right here trying to tell you something important. You don’t have to live on the other side of the world to accept that they are tough. Bedtime hours in Spain are a cultural shock for everyone.
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