Research suggests permanent standard time \u2014 the time we return to in the fall \u2014 is more closely aligned with the body’s internal clock than permanent daylight time, which several provinces have chosen. <\/p>\n
Here’s what winter time would look like across Canada under proposed time-zone changes <\/p>\n
Joseph De Koninck, an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Ottawa, has studied sleep for decades. He said the springtime change is the most problematic because people lose an hour of sleep when they set their clocks forward, creating a mismatch between the body’s internal biological clock and solar time.<\/p>\n
De Koninck explained that our biological clock uses light to synchronize itself. As daylight changes with the seasons, our circadian rhythms adjust gradually. Making a one-hour adjustment all at once, however, is much more difficult.<\/p>\n
“We are able to adapt, but it’s not optimal for our health.”<\/p>\n
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The Edmonton skyline at dawn. As one of Canada’s northernmost major cities, Edmonton will see winter sunrises as late as 10 a.m. under Alberta’s new permanent daylight time. (John Robertson\/CBC)<\/p>\n
Why morning light matters<\/p>\n
Michael Antle, head of the University of Calgary’s psychology department and a professor who studies circadian rhythms, said permanent standard time would have been better for Alberta.<\/p>\n
Because of the province’s northern latitude and position within its time zone, it already has late winter sunrises, Antle said. Permanent daylight time will push them forward another hour.<\/p>\n
“It’s not the choice I would have made,” he said of the province’s decision.<\/p>\n
Cross Country Checkup is asking:\u00a0\u00a0What questions do you have about getting a good night’s sleep? Leave your comment\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0and we may read it or call you back\u00a0for Sunday’s show<\/p>\n Antle said daylight time essentially means society has agreed to get up and go to work or school an hour earlier.<\/p>\n Most people’s circadian clocks run slightly slow, making them somewhat “night owlish,” he said. Morning light helps speed up that clock.<\/p>\n Michael Antle, a University of Calgary psychology professor, says permanent standard time is healthier because it better aligns with people’s body clocks. (Submitted by Michael Antle)<\/p>\n When morning light arrives later, there can be a mismatch between what the body wants to do and what work or school requires.<\/p>\n Antle described this effect as “social jetlag.”<\/p>\n Antle pointed to population studies<\/a> that found people exposed to later sunsets slept less and had higher rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. He also cited Russian research<\/a> that found winter depression among young people increased while Russia observed permanent daylight time.<\/p>\n WATCH | B.C. scientists warn permanent daylight time could do more harm than good: Why some scientists don’t support B.C.’s switch to permanent daylight time<\/p>\n Why researchers say permanent daylight time is a bad idea<\/p>\n Both researchers distinguish between the disruption caused by changing the clocks and the effects of living on daylight time year-round.<\/p>\n Antle said the spring change creates a sudden shift that can leave people feeling as though they’re living on the wrong time for several weeks. Permanent daylight time would extend that mismatch through the darkest months of the year.<\/p>\n He would prefer permanent standard time. Continuing to spring forward and fall back would be a compromise, he said, preserving later summer evenings without the longer-term winter mismatch.<\/p>\n Night owls who work regular daytime jobs may struggle the most because they already find it difficult to wake up early, Antle said. <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1793296092_832_default.jpg\")
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