“Maintain daylight saving time all year round and yes to the short week at school”. In these difficult times of energy crisis and stellar increases in the bill, “the invitation is to follow these two paths that combine benefits for the well-being of children and help energy savings”. Word of Italo Farnetani, full professor of paediatrics at the Ludes-United Campus of Malta, who in recent days had expressed astonishment that the summer time issue was not at the center of the pre-election debate. “I also disagree about not having closed schools on Saturdays – he explains to Adnkronos Salute – as there would have been undoubted energy savings, without damage to the pupils. Socialization, school in the presence, group attendance of peers are aspects that are not altered, as they are insured for 5 days, while one more day in the family would have been privileged. For decades now, Saturday is a day in which many parents, at least one, do not work, classically it is dedicated to visit to grandparents, who often look after their grandchildren when their parents work “. The short week is therefore also configured as “an opportunity to strengthen the family relationship at all levels, with significant energy savings”. Precisely to privilege moments with the family “you shouldn’t give homework on the weekend”, he adds, “an indication that today is almost totally disregarded”. As for daylight saving time, for Farnetani “on October 30th the hands of the clock should remain in place “. First of all “for the health of the little ones. But not only”. The topic, highlights the pediatrician, “should be taken into consideration right now, in the midst of the energy crisis, when all the options and possibilities for saving energy and reducing bills are being evaluated. In these 7 months in which there is in Italy it was the summer time, about 200 million euros were saved, calculations made in March, but today with the hike in tariffs the savings will be even higher. This is one more reason why we can keep the summer time for everything the year “. The debate, continues Farnetani,” has been going on for years. I was one of the first to propose the maintenance of summer time starting from a motivation linked to health. in particular, the moment of falling asleep and waking up causes stress for the organism with the need for adaptation. And this determines symptoms in a wide range of the population. to avoid these disturbances to the organism and promote health. The second reason is that, especially during the winter, an extra hour of light allows you to be more outdoors, meet people, do physical activity and therefore fight a sedentary lifestyle, overweight and obesity “. extra light, continues Farnetani, “is particularly useful for pupils, who often have to do their homework in the early afternoon or stay in class for those who attend full time. In addition to all these advantages, there is the considerable energy saving and cost reduction “. In light of these arguments, he insists,” I am surprised that the maintenance of summer time all year round has not been debated at the election campaign level. It has also been talked about at European level for years, even if the Union has left the choice and the decision to individual states. “respect the circadian rhythms of the organism”. Altering these rhythms and forcing the body to adapt in babies can lead to “sleep disturbances that are reflected in mood changes,” he concludes.