Twice a year we change the clocks – and twice a year we ask why. We get two writers to argue whether we should abolish daylight saving time for good in this week’s Debate
Yes: British Standard Time is better for our health
This Sunday we will change our clocks to go forward an hour and face around seven months of living in the “wrong time zone” as we enter Daylight Saving Time (or British Summer Time as it is known here in the UK). Many are looking forward to increased evening light and longer days.
However, these longer days are attributable to seasonal changes as we enter summer, not the clock changes. All we are actually doing is moving our schedules by one hour: having an hour more light in the evening comes at the expense of morning bright light. And morning bright light is crucial for helping to regulate our sleep-wake cycles.
In the summer the sunrises are so early that the lack of morning bright light is not so obvious. However, it is quite noticeable in spring and autumn. For example, on the Monday after the switch, the sun will rise between 6:40-6:50am depending on where you are in the UK. Come October, before we switch our clocks back, the sun will not rise until 7:40-8:00am, which hardly gives us much time before work to expose ourselves to bright light and regulate our sleep-wake cycles.
Lack of sleep can have significant impact on our health, both physical and mental, as well as our daytime functioning, academic and work performance. The British Sleep Society therefore recommends getting rid of the clock change, and to abolish Daylight Saving Time. It should be replaced with British Standard Time, where the clocks align with the sun time and we get our morning bright light that is so crucial for our sleep, health, safety and productivity.
Dr Megan Crawford is a researcher at the University of Strathclyde Sleep Centre and a member of the British Sleep Society
No: Synchronisation with the seasonal patterns establishes balance
Many people dislike changing the clocks twice annually but I find it beneficial. Making better use of natural daylight improves our overall wellbeing and lifestyle. The extended evenings after we “spring forward” provide us with additional time to enjoy activities such as walking after work or meeting friends and simply spending time outdoors. The extended day lengthens our daily schedule and creates balance which boosts both mood and energy levels. The extra hour of sleep gained when we “fall back” feels like a present, while the adjustment brings more morning sunlight to help us wake up more easily during the darker months.
There’s also a practical side to it. Evening daylight extension enhances driving and walking visibility which leads to reduced accidents and improved safety. Research indicates that evening light reduces crime rates since criminal activities decline in areas with sufficient lighting. The economy benefits when people choose to visit shops and restaurants during daylight hours which helps support local businesses.
The addition of evening daylight reduces feelings of depression and tiredness that accompany the reduced daylight hours of winter. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) exists as a real mental health condition which improves significantly when people receive additional sunlight. Personally, I find the time change refreshing. The transition into Daylight Saving Time brings me a sense of renewal as it signifies upcoming brighter days while the end of Daylight Saving Time helps me embrace winter’s comforting atmosphere. This synchronization with seasonal patterns establishes a healthier and more balanced feeling for me. The advantages of changing the clocks clearly surpass the hassle of adjusting them.
Chloe Bennet is an editor at UKWritings.com
VERDICT: Let’s (not) do the time warp again
Time and time again (more specifically, twice a year), the daylight savings time (DST) debate rears its head, driven largely by those who wish to see the back of it. And yet here we are still, with the question unsettled.
In putting together this debate, it quickly became clear that, nowadays, advocates for clock-changing are few and far between. It messes up our sleep, depresses us in winter and nobody knows how to change the time on the oven. What was also clear, however, is that many eagerly pledging their support for DST’s abolition mistakenly assume this will result in an eternal British Summer Time. In fact, it is the opposite – permanent British Standard time – that is more likely. In other words, abolishing DST does not mean getting rid of those 4pm sunsets.
Regardless, the science still falls firmly on the abolitionists’ side: biannual time warping is not good for our health. Initially adopted not even for the farmers (as commonly held) but for the war, its use case has long expired.