On Sunday, March 9, most Canadians will adjust their clocks an hour ahead as daylight saving time (DST) takes effect. The shift is expected to affect everything from sleep patterns to road safety.

The history of DST is long and complex, tracing back to 1784 when Benjamin Franklin, then serving as the U.S. ambassador to France, suggested the idea.

Franklin noticed sunlight streaming through his window, leading him to realize that if people woke up earlier, they could benefit from extra natural light in the evening and reduce the need for costly candles.

His proposal was aimed at making better use of extended daylight hours during the warmer months. The concept involved shifting clocks forward by one hour in the spring to start the day earlier, then setting them back in the fall to reclaim that hour of daylight in the evening.

Though Franklin first introduced the idea, it wasnB次元官网网址檛 until 1918 that the Canadian government implemented DST, initially as a strategy to boost production during the First World War. Since then, the time-shifting practice has been widely adopted across Canada, with regional variations.

From 1988 to 2006, Canada observed the North American practice of moving clocks forward one hour on the first Sunday in April and back on the last Sunday in October. In 2007, however, the schedule was adjusted, with DST now running from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.

Today, 70 countries worldwide still observe DST, though that number is declining. Since 2016, seven countries have abandoned the practice altogetherraising questions about the benefits of shifting time twice a year.

The impacts of DST on sleep, health, and daily routines are a topic of ongoing research.

Michael Pullock, a sleep and circadian rhythm researcher and professor in the Camosun College Psychology department, explained how daylight plays a pivotal role within your brain's internal clock. 

"Light is the primary thing that shifts the brain's clock," Pullock said. "The brain's internal clock, even if you're in a cave, still fires and tells the rest of your brain when to wake up and go to sleep."

According to Pullock, the bodyB次元官网网址檚 circadian rhythms are highly sensitive to light exposure, which helps synchronize the brainB次元官网网址檚 internal clock with the external world.

"Waking up an hour earlier can be disruptive, but people adapt fairly quickly," said Pullock. "Permanent daylight saving time in winter would be problematic, especially for children and adolescents."

In 2019, the British Columbia government introduced the interpretation amendment act, allowing for the possibility of permanently adopting DST in the province. This move followed a public survey where 93 per cent of respondents expressed support for ending the biannual time changes.

Pullock argued that permanent DST could have serious long-term consequences, particularly for young people. 

B次元官网网址淧ermanent daylight saving time is the worst option, especially for young people B次元官网网址� adolescents would struggle the most.B次元官网网址�

Teenagers, he pointed out, naturally have circadian rhythms that make them inclined to stay up late and sleep in, which DST exacerbates.

Pullock advocates for maintaining standard time year-round, citing its alignment with natural light patterns.

"The best option is to stick with standard time year-round," he said. "Permanent daylight saving time would be bad for places like Victoria, where the sun rises later in the winter. ItB次元官网网址檚 easy to adapt to a one-hour shift, but as you get older, it becomes harder to adjust."

According to Pullock, the effects of DST are not just limited to short-term sleep disruption. The shift can have long-lasting health impacts, including higher rates of "social jet lag," a condition where the bodyB次元官网网址檚 natural sleep cycle falls out of sync with the social clock.

This misalignment can lead to a variety of health issues, including mood disorders and an increased risk of chronic illnesses.

In addition to disruption to sleep patterns, the change can impact tasks such as driving. 

Trace Acres, program director for Road Safety at Work, warned about the dangers of sleep deprivation, particularly when it comes to driving.

B次元官网网址淟osing just one hour of sleep can affect our driving ability and increase the risk of crashing,B次元官网网址� said Acres. "Even minor fatigue can have major consequences when weB次元官网网址檙e behind the wheel. WeB次元官网网址檙e not as alert, weB次元官网网址檙e slower to react, we donB次元官网网址檛 judge distance or recognize hazards as well as we usually do, and our decision-making is compromised.B次元官网网址�

Acres pointed out that the shift could have serious safety consequences, especially as people adjust to the new schedule.

"ItB次元官网网址檚 important to recognize that even a small amount of sleep loss can impair our judgment and reaction time, which is critical when driving."

Daylight saving time commences on Sunday, March 9 at 2 a.m., and concludes on Sunday, Nov. 2.