A Simple Thing Makes a Big Difference: What time is it?
If you travel to Italy (or most of Europe) the homes have exterior shutters on the windows called serranda. So what, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you, they literally destroy my biological clock. When Italians settle-in for the evening, or when the sun is beating down (it’s been 95 degrees here in Torino) the serranda are closed……..the interior of the house becomes completely dark. I’m talking NO light.
What makes them so difficult for me is that they intensify my jet lag. I have no idea when to get up. It takes me several days to adjust to being in Europe. My relatives think I’m joking when I tell them the American home doesn’t have this type of shutter. ”How can you sleep without them?” They also think it’s strange that I never close them all the way.
The home above is a perfect example of the serranda in full use. I’ve wondered if Europeans are actully less sleep-deprived because their homes are so closed-up at night. Perhaps we should adopt them, get a better night sleep and relax a bit more!
