Most Canadians will gain an extra hour of sleep this weekend as the days will start getting shorter.
Daylight savings time ends this Sunday, November 3rd at 2 a.m. local time. Observers will set their clocks back, or ‘fall back,’ by one hour.
Despite getting an extra hour of sleep this weekend, the time change can make it more difficult to fall asleep at the time we are used to.
According to the Sleep Foundation, sleep experts have noted troubling trends during the transitions between daylight saving time and standard time. Some of the issues include an uptick in heart problems, mood disorders, and motor vehicle collisions.
Daylight savings time can also cause sleep problems by disrupting our circadian rhythms so that they are not aligned with natural cycles of light and darkness.
How much longer we will continue to implement daylight savings time is up for debate. In November 2020, Ontario passed the Time Amendment Act, which paves the way for getting rid of time changes altogether.
Ontario’s attorney general has said the government will only make this change if Quebec and New York are on board.
Last week, Quebec launched a public consultation on the time change and said the government could table legislation to get rid of these time changes.
