Daylight saving time negatively impacts our health: Expert

As many Canadians turn back their clocks, one B.C. expert is highlighting how daylight savings time impacts our health.

Twice a year in B.C., the controversial time change impacts the sleep patterns of the populace.

Raymond Lam, a professor of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, says the time change puts our internal clocks out of sync and has negative impacts on our health.

“That’s associated with problems with more depression, tiredness, fatigue, as well as concentration, cognitive changes,” Lam said.

Lam also specializes in winter depression and says people with mental health challenges, like Seasonal Affective Disorder, can be greatly impacted by the change.

He notes many people, including teens, struggle with concentration during the transition.

“There’s consensus among circadian scientists and sleep researchers that permanent standard time would be better for our health,” Lam said.

Amy Deacon, the founder of a wellness counselling centre in Toronto says it’s important for people to take inventory of their current mental health as they head into the time change.

“It’s so important to be proactive and identify, am I feeling burnt out? We don’t want to wait for the timeframes to happen for these symptoms to be exacerbated,” she said.

One way to combat the disruption is by sticking to your regular bedtime, and not staying up the extra hour. Lam also recommends taking advantage of the sunshine — or getting a sun lamp.

“We know from research that when we’re not exposed to sunlight, we’re more prone to experiencing anxiety, and depression,” Lam said.

He says it’s long past time for Canadians to stop switching their clocks.

“We’re a chronically sleep-deprived population anyway,” Lam says. “Permanent daylight savings time would make that time of sunrise even later for them relative to their biological clock.”

With files from Dilshad Burman