Some will take the opportunity to sleep, and others to party: during the night from Saturday to Sunday, the clock will go back one hour. A process that has an impact on the physical and mental health of many Canadians.
At 2 a.m. in Quebec on Sunday morning, it will actually be 1 a.m. Canadians will have to contend with standard time, or standard time, until March. Saskatchewan is the only province that maintains the same time all year round.
Where did this idea of changing the time come from? Daylight saving time (daylight saving time) was first applied during the First World War, to increase the productivity of citizens during the months with the most sunshine. Canadians could benefit from an extra hour after dinner, reports The Canadian Encyclopedia.
The circadian clock, or the biological clock, of the human body must adapt to the change of time in the same way as to a jet lag during a trip, explains Nadia Gosselin, scientific director at the Center d’études advances in sleep medicine at the Sacré-Cœur hospital in Montreal.
The time change in autumn has little impact on the quality of sleep, says the specialist. “In a society that lacks sleep, having an extra hour to sleep is something you can see as positive,” she says.
However, while early risers will be able to benefit from more light, people who typically go outside after 4 p.m. will not be able to benefit from the sun. This situation can have an impact on the quality of their sleep, but also on their mental health.
“You can have a more depressed mood, and people who are very sensitive to their mood can even have depression. […] seasonal, ”says Nadia Gosselin.
However, we must be careful in establishing a cause and effect relationship between a mental health problem and the change of time, according to Guido Simonelli, researcher at the Center for Advanced Studies in Sleep Medicine.
“What this probably means is that the time change has accelerated [la recherche d’aide] people, ”he says.
To lessen the negative effects of the time change, Nadia Gosselin recommends going outside for a period of 15 to 20 minutes during her lunch break. This simple gesture can have a positive effect on a person’s level of energy, alertness and drowsiness.
Should we eliminate the time change?
Several people are opposed to the time change. Last June, the Canadian Sleep Society recommended abandoning daylight saving time so that standard time is in place year round.
The body believes that standard time is beneficial for the circadian clock, and that it allows for “optimal sleep”, we can read on the website of the Company.
Alberta also held a referendum in October on the abolition of the time change. The results were very close: 50.2% of voters voted against the time change, and 49.8% in favor, reported Radio-Canada.
A reminder to check smoke alarms, and more profits for bars
The Montreal Fire Safety Service (SIM) is taking advantage of the time change to remind the population to check that the smoke alarms are working properly in their homes.
City of Montreal regulations require that a functional smoke alarm be present on each floor of a dwelling.
Meanwhile, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux suggests that bar owners will have an extra hour to serve alcoholic drinks this weekend.