Quebec residents will have to set their clocks back an hour on November 5 to take part in this strange ritual that the province has practiced every year since 1940, along with about 70 other countries around the world. Here’s why.

• Also read: Time change: The PQ resumes the debate and would like to hear from experts on this topic

• Also read: Time change is bad for your health, says expert

• Also read: Myths and realities of changing times

Every year, Quebec returns to Eastern Standard Time on the first Sunday in November. This time zone is five hours shorter than Coordinated Universal Time (UTC – 5 a.m.), which is the reference time that applies in most countries around the world.

A second time change occurs on the second Sunday in March, the day Quebec switches to daylight saving time (UTC – 4 a.m.).

Why change the time?

Essentially, the time change was introduced to increase production during the First World War. In addition to saving energy, it is also about making optimal use of daylight. In other words, without a time change in summer, the sun would rise earlier and set earlier, meaning we wouldn’t be able to take full advantage of it due to our social habits.

For compatibility with other systems, especially in the south of the country, the official local time will also be changed, in particular to facilitate cross-border commercial exchange, banking and legal transactions, as well as the regulation of air traffic.

Some experts also believe that the energy savings are not that great, especially thanks to new, more environmentally friendly technologies.

“At the time it was introduced, lighting accounted for a much larger share of a household’s electricity consumption. The light bulbs were less efficient than today and the heating was not electric,” explained Marc-Antoine Pouliot, spokesman for Hydro-Québec Montreal Journal.

Health effects

Typically, switching to daylight saving time is more stressful than switching to winter time because it means you “lose” an hour of sleep.

Many experts question the point of changing the time and point out that our biological clock, which determines when we are hungry or tired, for example, is not very flexible.

The time change can disrupt sleep cycles and lead to other significant health problems. Unregulated sleep can lead to, among other things, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, work accidents or traffic accidents.

Babies and seniors, for whom routine is more important than other population groups, will be most affected by the time change. Pets might also be upset.

“For children, it will disrupt nap time. Elderly people, especially those in institutions, eat at a specific time that is disrupted. Your tummies will be rumbling in the mornings for the next few days. “All of that affects people’s mood,” said Roger Godbout, head of the sleep laboratory and sleep clinic at Rivière-des-Prairies Mental Health Hospital, in an interview with LCN.

Not the case everywhere

It’s 19^e In the 19th century, the beginnings of the time change appeared in people’s minds in order to save light thanks to sunshine.

While the time change was introduced in Quebec in 1940, it was adopted by the first European countries in 1916: Germany, England and France. The United States followed suit at the end of World War I.

It made its way to a few locations across the country in the 1920s and was then standardized across Canada in the 1950s.

According to reports, the Legal Time Act was passed in Quebec in 2007 to align daylight saving time with the American calendar The newspaper.

However, some countries later decided to abandon it or even never introduce it. These countries that do not change their time include Argentina, India and Japan.

The Russians also abolished the time change in October 2014. Russia now lives on standard time (winter time) all year round.

In Canada, some provinces have also decided to no longer participate, including Yukon, Saskatchewan and parts of British Columbia.

There are also differences within the province. Minganie, which includes Anticosti Island, observes Eastern Standard Time, or daylight saving time, while the Lower North Shore observes Atlantic Standard Time year-round.

In Quebec, areas east of 63^e West longitude, near Labrador, does not change time. This is the case in Blanc-Sablon. When Quebec sets the time forward, the city shares the clock with Quebec. Winter is more of a maritime time, like on the Magdalen Islands.

Located near Newfoundland, Blanc-Sablon is itself 30 minutes behind sea time, explains The newspaper.

The Case of the United States

In March 2022, the US Senate unanimously passed a bill to abolish the time change in the United States, requiring the implementation of daylight saving time year-round.

The Sunshine Protection Act bill reintroduced by Senator Marco Rubio has still not been approved by Joe Biden, who has veto power and can decide whether this bill becomes law or not. The bill has not yet made it to the House of Representatives.

Here are some tips to help you adjust to the time change:

1. Don’t change your rhythm and keep the same times for your meals or sleep. Use natural light and sunshine to help your body clock adjust more easily and quickly. It can also be a good idea to prepare gradually and well in advance;

2. Try light therapy, artificial light that can help you resynchronize your sleep-wake cycle. Use it preferably between 30 and 60 minutes a day, at regular times and as soon as possible after waking up;

3. Promote your sleep quality as much as possible by reducing alcohol consumption and moving as little as possible, ideally in daylight.