By james art Members of the British Sleep Society (BSS), a professional body for medical, scientific and healthcare professionals, said the evidence clearly shows that natural daylight in the morning is good for sleep patterns, while changing the clocks has a negative impact.
They argue that circadian rhythms – the physical, mental and behavioral changes we experience in 24 hours – are most strongly affected by clocks moving forward in the spring.
The society issued a statement published in the Journal of Sleep Research saying it “strongly recommends” that Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) – when the clocks go back – run year-round.
The call comes as the clocks are set to go back this weekend.
In the UK, clocks are moved forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March and back one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October.
The period when clocks are one hour ahead is called British Summer Time (BST) and sometimes Daylight Savings Time.
When the clocks go back, the UK is on GMT, also known as Standard Time.
The statement comes from academics from across the UK, led by Dr Megan Crawford from the University of Strathclyde, Dr Eva Winnebeck from the University of Surrey and Professor Malcolm von Shanz from Northumbria University.
Prof von Schantz said GMT “closely matches the natural light-dark cycles of day and night” and “natural daylight in the morning is critical to keeping our clocks in optimal synchronization with day and night, which is essential for optimal sleep and overall health”.
He added: “Restoring permanent standard time (GMT) would mean our clocks would be precisely aligned with solar time, and while this would mean earlier sunsets in the summer, there would be additional health benefits from improved sleep and circadian alignment due to the increased exposure to morning sunlight from autumn to spring.”
Dr Winnebeck said: “What we often don’t realize is that daylight saving time (BST) changes our timetables, moving them forward one hour while daylight stays the same.
“It forces us all to get up and go to work or school an hour earlier. In seasons with fewer daylight hours, like now in the fall, that means most of us have to get up and travel in the dark.”
Dr. Crawford said there is a “misconception from a sleep and circadian health perspective” that clocks must constantly be moved forward.
“Mornings are when our clocks need light the most to stay in sync,” she said.
“At our latitudes, there is simply no spare daylight to spare during the winter months, and given the choice between natural light in the morning and natural light in the afternoon, the scientific evidence is in favor of light in the morning.”
It is understood the government has no plans to change the summer time system.