Plans to adopt permanent daylight saving time in British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario could have significant effects on schools because winter sunrises would occur later than the start of the school day in many communities.
In northern and western areas, sunrise could come after 8 a.m. or even 9 a.m. for a substantial part of the school year. In Grande Prairie, Alberta, December and January sunrises would occur after 10 a.m. The shorter winter days in northern Canada mean the effects could be more pronounced than in the southern United States, where similar proposals have been discussed.
Sleep and chronobiology experts generally support ending seasonal clock changes in favour of permanent standard time, citing health risks associated with the transition to daylight saving time. Permanent daylight saving time would provide more evening light, but it would also shift morning schedules further away from natural daylight.
The concern is linked to the circadian clock, which regulates the body’s daily rhythms and naturally follows daylight. Permanent daylight saving time could increase social jet lag, the mismatch between people’s biological clocks and the schedules imposed by school or work. Students and teachers with early start times could be required to wake before their bodies are ready, while later sunsets could delay sleep and reduce total rest.
Teenagers may be particularly affected. Adolescence naturally shifts the circadian clock later, making many teens more likely to have an evening-oriented chronotype. When that pattern is combined with early school schedules and late winter dawns, the result may be greater daytime sleepiness, reduced attention and weaker executive functioning.
Research on adolescent sleep links insufficient rest with depression, lower grades, risky behaviours and car accidents. Studies on school schedules have also found that later start times can improve sleep, mood, attendance, attention and academic performance, while reducing illness, headaches, caffeine use and the risk of motor-vehicle accidents. Teachers can also benefit from better-aligned start times through improved daytime functioning and sleep health.
Schools could face increased difficulties with student engagement, academic performance, illness and absences, particularly among middle and high school students. The effects may be stronger in rural and remote communities where school days often begin earlier, as well as among racialized and economically marginalized groups with less schedule flexibility, greater reliance on public transit and higher rates of disability or existing health problems.
The article says governments adopting permanent daylight saving time will need to evaluate its effects on well-being and safety. Potential measures to reduce harm include public education about sleep health and seasonal mood changes, later or more flexible school start times, improved indoor lighting and additional traffic and pedestrian safety measures.
Sources: Phys.org.