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Some Alberta experts believe it would be valuable from a health perspective to have a standard, year-round time. But they think we should follow standard time, not the daylight time that B.C.’s legislation calls for.

“There’s two issues around time change. One is the actual change of the clock twice a year,” said Joanna MacLean, a sleep clinician at the University of Alberta. “The other is, with the time change, there’s a shift in terms of light exposure, so during standard time our clock is set in a different way than we’re on daylight saving time over the summer.”

Research shows the time change itself aligns with increased rates of car accidents before the fall change and after the spring change. And health-wise, it’s important to have daylight as you wake up, MacLean says.

“If we are going to get rid of the time change, then I would advocate for standard time, because I think that is what is more consistent with our biology, in terms of more light in the morning and less light in the evening,” she says.

Michael Antle, a University of Calgary psychologist, agrees.

“Most concerning for me, given I study circadian rhythms, is the effects of staying permanently on daylight saving time, instead of permanent standard time,” Antle said. “It’s the morning light that’s most important for our biology.”

But for the foreseeable future, Alberta will still have a time change twice a year, so remember to move your clock back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday.

With files from Janet French

jherring@postmedia.com

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