Scientists predict each day on Earth will be as long as 25 hours, although a million years from now. A day longer than the standard 24 hours would significantly impact your circadian rhythm or sleep cycle.
The Focus got in touch with a sleep expert to understand the changes a 25-hour Earth Day would bring about in our lives and Dr. Chelsea Perry says, it can affect us in multiple ways.
Earth is slowly moving towards 25-hour day
A typical Earth day is lengthening very slowly – about 1.7 milliseconds every century, reports Live Science. In fact, there have been days longer and shorter in the past, depending on several factors, such as ice mass distribution, gravitational pull, and others.
Of all the contributing factors, our planet’s relationship with the moon causes it to rotate slower than before. The report quotes a professor of planetary science, Konstantin Batygin, saying that it could take 200 million years for Earth’s day to reach 25 hours.
But should it become longer than it is now, how would it impact our sleep, health, and lifestyle? The evolution will also be gradual and consistent, says the sleep expert.
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Sleep expert explains the impact of longer days on health
Dr. Chelsea tells The Focus that 25 hours a day instead of 24 would cause major disruption to our circadian rhythms.
“Our internal clocks are naturally set to about 24 hours, guided mostly by light and darkness. Stretching the day to 25 or 26 hours would mean our internal clocks would need to adjust, and that might be tricky without changes in our environment,” she explains.
Our sleep cycle would take a hit considering there will be longer days, which means we need more extended periods of daylight and darkness to stay in sync.
The sleep expert said: “Our sleep-wake cycle would also be affected. If the day is longer, people might stay awake and sleep later, which could mess up consistent sleep patterns.”
Changes to the circadian rhythms are said to cause several health issues, including sleep disorders, metabolic problems, cardiovascular diseases, and mood disorders.
Dr. Chelsea tells The Focus that adapting to a day as long as 25 hours is possible, just like shift workers or travelers crossing time zones, but it requires significant lifestyle changes.
“This could include controlled light exposure and consistent sleep schedules,'” she says, as longer days “would challenge our biological rhythms and require us to make major adjustments to our environment and daily habits to maintain our health and well-being.”
Dr. Chelsea Perry is the founder of Sleep Solutions and the lead clinician, with “extensive experience in sleep medicine.” She has been featured as an expert in multiple leading websites and media outlets, including Sleep Advisor and Woman’s World.
