As Nov. 1 approaches, clocks in parts of Western Canada are staying on permanent daylight time after a B.C.-based analysis warned against it in favour of permanent standard time.
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Residents in parts of Western Canada are set to keep their clocks on permanent daylight time after Nov. 1, when the region would normally switch back an hour, according to the analysis released by B.C. researchers and other sleep, mental health and economic experts.
The analysis, published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, examined multiple studies and concluded health evidence favours moving to permanent standard time rather than permanent daylight saving, in part because it better aligns with the body’s rhythm.
Ralph Mistlberger, a psychology professor at Simon Fraser University, said the shift could affect people’s internal timing, including when they wake and when they go to bed.
Mistlberger described how artificial light can influence circadian rhythms, saying the light spectrum can be adjusted to provide cooler light in the morning and warmer light later in the day.
He said shifting winter mornings into darkness can affect sleep-wake timing by making the body believe it is still time in the wake period, while evening conditions can similarly affect when the body prepares to sleep.
Mistlberger also said inconsistent sleep can lead to what researchers call “social jet lag,” where a person’s biological clock does not line up with their day-to-day schedule, and that chronic disruption can be associated with health concerns.
Those potential concerns discussed in the analysis include increased risk of metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and increases reported in larger epidemiological studies for certain cancers and some mood disorders.
The analysis and researchers also pointed to student well-being, with Patrick Baylis, an associate professor at the Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia, saying there is particular concern about schooling outcomes when students begin the day in the dark.
Baylis referenced research around the U.S. time zone boundary in Florida that found an extra hour of sunlight before school was associated with higher math and reading scores among adolescents, describing the analysis’ findings as comparable in magnitude to meaningful class-size reductions and largest at puberty.
Baylis said the analysis recommends that if permanent daylight time is maintained, steps should be taken to reduce potential negative health impacts and evaluate the change, including considering monitoring effects on schooling outcomes, particularly for adolescents.
He said that could involve flexible or later school start times or supports to help schools compensate for reduced morning real light.
Both Mistlberger and Baylis said the B.C. government’s 2019 online survey did not offer the public an option to choose permanent standard time, instead comparing switching regimes to permanent daylight time.
Mistlberger and Baylis also cited examples from other countries where moves toward permanent daylight saving were later reversed or faced backlash, including Russia and Chile, alongside the U.S. experience when permanent daylight saving was abandoned within the year after concerns about dark winter mornings and other disruptions.
In British Columbia, the province has pitched the move to permanent year-round daylight time as improving overall health, reducing disruptions for families, simplifying scheduling, and providing extra evening light during winter months, according to the description included with the analysis.
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