Itâs that time of year again, when most Canadians move our clocks ahead one hour to mark the start of daylight time.
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Clocks officially move ahead one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday across Canada, with the biggest exception being most of Saskatchewan, where clocks remain on Central Standard Time all year.
That means Canadians in most of the country will lose an hour of sleep on Saturday night. But looking on the bright side, there is more daylight in the evening hours.
Itâs been well-documented that the time changes in the fall and spring can feel like theyâre taking a physical toll.
But does adjusting the time really affect our internal body clock?
âIt is a real thing,â Dr. Harneet Walia, a specialist at the Sleep Disorders Center in Cleveland, told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel on Friday. âOur sleep-wake schedule is determined by an internal body clock, as well as the external clock.â
Walia said that when we transition to daylight time, âour internal clock has to adjust to that, and can take some time to adjust to that and thatâs why we face those consequences that we face.â
Losing the hour of sleep can lead to an increased risk of drowsy driving, heart attacks, changes in mood, irritability and impaired concentration.
The adverse effects we experience from the loss of one hourâs sleep is similar to what travellers experience with jetlag, says Colleen Carney, director of the Sleep and Depression Lab at Ryerson University in Toronto.
âOne hour is the minimal threshold that tricks the body clock into thinking itâs supposed to be one time but itâs actually another,â Carney said on ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel. âWhenever you have that situation itâs like travelling through one time zone, so you get jetlag symptoms.â
She added: âJetlag isnât really about the travel, itâs about the mismatch between the clock and the body, and the cues in the environment that are telling it what time it is.
âSo whatâs going to happen this weekend is there is going to be some discrepant cues.â
Walia said the time change is more of a problem for those who are chronically sleep-deprived, but the time it takes to recover from the sleep loss depends on the individual.
âFor some people, it can take a day, for some people it can take a few days,â Walia said.
So what can people do ahead of time to prepare for daylight time?
âWe tell patients to start easing into this daylight saving time a few days prior to when it happens,â Walia said.
Starting a few days before, people should begin going to bed earlier âin small incrementsâ of 15 minutes.
Maintaining good sleep hygiene is âmost important,â Walia said, and that includes ensuring youâre making sleep a priority and getting a good 7-8 hours of non-interrupted shuteye each night.
Other daylight time management tips:
- Limit exposure to screens before bed, including television, computers and cellphones
- Expose yourself to bright light in the morning
- Avoid caffeine three to four hours before bed
- Engage in a moderate amount of exercise