Should we keep daylight saving time?

Time changes related to daylight saving time cause sleep disruptions and can contribute to a myriad of serious health problems.  Given the health risks, Canadians may ask themselves why we continue to change the clocks twice a year. Sleep scientists at The Royal suggest that we should stop.

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Dr. Rebecca Robilliard
Dr. Rebecca Robillard, head scientist of the clinical sleep research unit

“Sleep scientists from The Royal and the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium reaffirm that daylight saving time should be abolished as this practice causes mental and physical health risks visible at the population level, and that standard time should be maintained across the full year,” says Dr. Rebecca Robillard, head scientist of the clinical sleep research unit at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal, and co-chair of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium shares this statement on the matter. “This Sunday, we will lose one hour of sleep, which challenges our biological clock. This has widespread downstream impacts like surges in heart attacks, pregnancy loss, and traffic accidents. This sleep loss tends to persist throughout the summer period and the return to standard time in the fall triggers a surge in depression.”

Scientists at The Royal and the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium have contributed to the recent position statement of the Canadian Sleep Society on the practice of daylight saving time. Read the position statement here: Position statement of the Canadian sleep society on the practice of daylight saving time (DST) - Canadian Sleep Society (CSS) (css-scs.ca)

Currently, Canada continues to observe DST and our clocks are set to ‘spring forward’ on Sunday, March 12.  Robillard has some advice for handling that change: “To attenuate the impacts of daylight saving time change, we need to be especially mindful of our sleep in the upcoming, days and do our best to increase our light exposure in the morning and avoid bright light in the evening and progressively advance our bedtime.”

For more insights on how to manage your sleep and mental health through the time change, listen to this interview that Dr. Elliott Lee, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic at The Royal, gave on CBC’s The Dose:  https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/410-the-dose/episode/15970965-how-can-i-sleep-better-around-daylight-saving-time

The Canadian Sleep Research Consortium is a national hub bringing together sleep scientists and clinicians to advance research and understanding of the widespread health, social and economic consequences of insomnia, sleep deprivation and why sleep is critical for performance and physical and mental health through the lifespan.