COVID-19 could make transition to standard time smoother: experts

VANCOUVER — Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any darker, the end of daylight time this weekend will make dusk come one hour earlier.

Much of Canada is set to turn back the clocks at 2 a.m. on Sunday, giving people an extra hour of sleep in exchange for darker evenings as winter sets in.

But experts say the end of daylight time may feel a little different this year as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended our usual schedules.

Don’t forget clocks fall back one hour this weekend. Time change kicks in at 2a on Nov. 1. One expert says it’s actually bad for your body’s internal clock and can lead to greater fatigue . Suggests going to bed on time. We spring forward on March 14, 2021. @NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/nYJ2VZc9PR

— Sonia Aslam (@SoniaSAslam) October 30, 2020

Some professors predict the time-warping nature of the crisis could ease the autumnal adjustment, while a critic says the one-hour shift may compound the discombobulation of life under lockdown.

While the seasonal tradition continues to be a source of fervid contention, University of Toronto medical professor Donald Redelmeier says we have much bigger worries this year.

Redelmeier says the supposed negative side-effects of clock switching will be eclipsed, if not alleviated, by the global upheaval of the pandemic.

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But Wendy Hall, a professor emeritus at the University of B.C.’s school of nursing, says the switch to standard time will only exacerbate sleep disruptions linked to the COVID-19 crisis.

Psychology professor Steve Joordens says the change in light patterns could provide a natural sense of structure by making people feel more energized in the morning and ready for bed at an earlier hour.

Yukon moved to permanent daylight time in March, and lawmakers in B.C., Alberta, and Ontario are considering measures to do away with the twice-yearly time change.