A group of sleep researchers from the British Sleep Society is calling on the UK government to scrap the twice-yearly clock changes because of the negative effects they have on sleep and circadian health.

After reviewing the available scientific evidence that circadian rhythm function and sleep are positively affected by natural daylight and negatively affected by the twice-yearly time changes, particularly when the clocks are moved forward in the spring, the British Sleep Society recommends the repeal of these changes in the United Kingdom. In a statement published in the Journal of Sleep Research, the Society “strongly recommends” that standard time apply year-round.

Psychology lecturer at the University of Strathclyde, Megan Crawford, notes that if DST were to prevail year-round, it would be “a false idea in terms of sleep and circadian health. Mornings are the time when our body clocks have the greatest need for light to stay in sync. In our latitudes there is no excess 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 favors morning light.”

Malcolm von Sandz, professor of chronobiology at Northumbria University and member of the Northumbria Center for Sleep Research, explains that “by calling for the standard time to apply year-round, the Society emphasizes that natural daylight in the morning is vital for maintaining the optimal alignment of our body clocks with day and night, which is essential for optimal sleep and overall health.”

He adds, “Restoring permanent standard time would mean our clocks would be closely aligned with solar time, and while it would mean earlier sunsets in the summer, there would be additional health benefits from improved sleep and circadian alignment, due to increased exposure to morning sunlight from autumn to spring.