麻豆影视

Skip to main content

'A public health concern': Should Canadians stop turning back the clocks?

A clock. (Pexels/Cats Coming) A clock. (Pexels/Cats Coming)
Share

On Sunday, daylight time ended and most of Canada set their clocks back an hour to standard time.

University of Calgary psychology professor Michael Antle told CTV National News, turning back the clocks means a chance to catch up on some sleep.

"We're going to feel better on Monday morning because we're getting our circadian clocks aligned with our work schedule and our solar day,鈥 Antle said.

Antle said a person鈥檚 physiology and sleep-wake cycles are all controlled by an internal clock known as the circadian clock, which tracks dawn.

鈥淥ur bodies naturally want to follow daylight,鈥 Antle said. 鈥淚t gets to be a problem in Canada, in particular, and in other northern countries, when our days get really short in the winter and when dawn starts getting later and later in the day. Our circadian clock wants to move later and later.鈥

According to Antle, the hour we gain by falling back in November is typically easier for a person to adjust to than springing forward an hour in March.

Rebecca Robillard, the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium co-chair, agreed the adverse health effects are less harsh during time changes in November compared to March. However, she said that does not mean some people won鈥檛 notice a difference this weekend.

"In the fall, some of the effects that seem to stand out a bit more are the effects on mental health, so surges in anxiety and depression, substance use as well, especially in males,鈥 Robillard said.

Studies show the return of daylight saving time in March can lead to an increase in heart attacks and strokes, and adverse effects to the digestive and immune systems, Robillard added.

Both Antle and Robillard said these deficiencies can be even harsher depending on where a person is located within a time zone. The farther west a person lives within a zone, the more intense the effects could be.

鈥淚f you're on the eastern edge of a time zone versus the western edge of a time zone, then you experience a very different sunrise and sunset,鈥 Antle said.

According to Antle, those living on the western edges of time zones are similar to people living in permanent daylight saving time. Whereas, living on the eastern edge is like living in permanent standard time.

鈥淵ou get 19 minutes less sleep every night if you're on the western edge of a time zone 鈥 which adds up to over 100 hours less sleep a year,鈥 he said.

Robillard called it a 鈥減ublic health concern鈥 and said she agrees with many researchers in the sleep community who are recommending daylight saving time be abolished.

Ontario passed a bill to ditch the bi-annual time change in 2020, but it will only come into effect if Quebec and New York follow suit.

B.C. voted in favour of similar legislation in 2019 dependent on neighbouring states making the shift. But south of the border, a U.S. federal bill that looks to ditch the switch remains idle.

Most of Saskatchewan, the Yukon and other select pockets of Canada won鈥檛 be turning back the clocks this weekend. Saskatchewan, barring some communities close to the borders, follow central standard time year round.

Robillard said it鈥檚 an important question to look into: is Saskatchewan onto something?

鈥淭his is a critical question because this effect is strongly modulated by where we're located in Canada. Different people are (affected) differently,鈥 she said.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.