Across generations, one (hopefully) figurative question asked by parents to their children seems to have endured the test of time: "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?"As it turns out, this question doesn't just help people think twice about their actions — it can also be used to decipher whether policy changes, like Alberta's decision to keep permanent daylight saving time (DST), are really a good idea.Back in March, BC announced it'd be jumping, keeping its clocks on DST come November 1, and similarly, on Thursday, Manitoba leaped on board, keeping DST, with no clock change to occur in winter.With only this commotion going on, one has to wonder — just because other provinces are doing it, is it really a good idea for Albertans to do it too?To be clear, Alberta has already decided in April that year-round DST will be used starting in November, but as the time when Albertans would have turned their clocks back inches closer and closer — how will Albertans be affected by no longer making this change?.No more winter shift to mountain standard time (MST) means the sun will be later to rise — around 9:30 am instead of 8:30 am under MST — which could have some physiological implications for the human body.In fact, according to a circadian system researcher at the University of Calgary, Dr. Michael Antle, DST already pushes us out of the natural rhythm our bodies want to wake, and not moving the clock back during winter only amplifies the problem.In spring, when Alberta shifts its clock forward to DST, it "pushes our schedules out of synch with our circadian rhythm."Circadian rhythm is the body's natural 24-hour internal clock, operating its sleep and wake cycle — affected by external factors, such as light, which, when the body is exposed to it, signals the brain to stop producing the hormone melatonin that helps you sleep..The harm DST causes to our natural circadian rhythm is due to it "forc[ing] us to wake-up early, in opposition to what our bodies want to do," explained Antle.In this way, it takes a few weeks, "until our days get long enough to have a dawn early enough for our bodies (varies by person, but usually late March/early April)."Having an early enough dawn means having enough sunlight to signal to the brain it's morning.Antle says this misalignment with the body's natural clock reoccurs in late October — right before the time switch would have occurred.."It come on gradually, but gets worse as time goes on," explains Antle.Meaning under year-round DST, this desynchrony will last from the middle of October until late March — around six months.Antle points out more far North in Alberta people live — the worse affected they will be by the decision, "The 9:30-10 am sunrises in Calgary/Edmonton will be challenging."But even more so, "Places like Grande Prairie will be closer to 10:30 am sunrises."This would be harmful to many Albertans, since unlike most of Canada, lots of Alberta's population is concentrated in its northern geography..Instead of Antle rejecting a time-zone permanence for the province altogether — he is proposing the opposite — adopting an all-year-round MST, something which would be "more natural for our bodies."He makes his case further by clarifying, under MST, Albertans would still have those cherished "daylight time sunsets in the summer.""So we naturally enjoy the benefits of DST in the summer that other jurisdictions need to change their clocks to get," Antle points out.The difference is they'll come just about an hour earlier, which might actually be beneficial since, "late sunsets in the summer actually come with harm too, leading to less sleep and poorer health.".What also separates Alberta from other places that have chosen to stay on fixed DST is that — our winter dawns are already just as late as those places on a fixed DST experience when we move our clocks back in the winter."This means the risk that these other places are choosing when adopting permanent DST is the same as the risk we already have in Alberta when on standard time," Antle stated.Moving on to more physiological concerns associated with such a late winter dawn — Antle highlights three main ones:.1. Why aren't we listening to the Russians?A loaded question, but not as you might think — Russia already tried permanent DST decades ago, in the early 1970s, and again between 2012 and 2014, and the results were never good (hence why they never stuck to it).As Antle puts it, Russia "always experienced buyer’s remorse" as they posited the extra hour of daylight at the end of day might serve to offset "the negative effects of the late dawn."But — as you may have guessed — what happened next was their "first experience with dark winter mornings convinced them year-round DST was not a good idea.".What Russia experienced during their short-lived DST stunt, according to a study Antle cites, was findings of "mental health, seasonal depression, and social jetlag all [getting] worse with year-round DST."As a result, Russia switched to permanent standard time, going steady ever since. 2. Who forgot to turn on the light?If commuting alone sounds like hell, try doing it for six months in pitch black, which is what all Albertans, especially those in the north will have to endure..But this darkness will also mean many commuting to work or school will be doing so "while tired," points out Antle."We will be fighting our biology, forcing our bodies to be awake and active hours before they’re ready," stated Antle.Just like any recipe for disaster, if you "Add in winter driving conditions, we will see an increase in car accidents with this."3. How much stress do you have to add before it compounds?.Chronic circadian desynchrony or social jetlag increases people's vulnerability to disease.As Antle explains, "It is an extra strain on our body that gradually erodes health, increasing rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer."Essentially, it is an "added gradual stress" which sometimes can be deadly. However, if Albertans must endure the permanent DST, Antle has a few suggestions to make the dark mornings a little bit easier on the ol'internal clock..For those who can — go to work a bit later to bit better align with when the sun rises.And for those who have a set time for work — have the same wake and sleep schedule every day, no matter what."Waking up earlier than the body wants, also means going to sleep earlier than the body wants, so being rigorous with bedtime is also important to ensure you get enough sleep for optimal health," Antle advises.
