Daylight Saving: Calls for the end of British Summer Time

According to the British Sleep Society (BSS), dispensing with British Summer Time could lead to a healthier nation.

But has it always been the way? Well, the custom of shifting clocks in Britain dates back over a century.

During the First World War, Germany implemented the change just weeks before the UK, with both aiming to cut energy consumption and bolster wartime production by extending daylight hours.

An end to British Summer Time then? Well after this year, most of us will ask if it ever began.

Daylight saving time needs to be abolished ASAP.

It’s SO pointless, and it carries no benefit beyond disrupting the human body’s natural circadian clock.

— Jeffrey Boadi (@jeffreyboadi_) March 30, 2024

According to a statement by the BSS, sticking to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Standard Time all year round, which we will shift to when the clocks go back later this week, would be beneficial.

Currently, UK clocks are set forward one hour at 1 am on the last Sunday of March and set back one hour at 2 am on the last Sunday of October. That's this weekend.

The BSS - who are comprised of professionals from medical, science and health fields - argues that altering our clocks disrupts our "circadian rhythm", the natural cycle of physical, mental, and behavioural changes our bodies go through in a single day.

They say that waking up to natural daylight helps regulate sleep patterns.

Professor Malcolm von Schantz from Northumbria University says that GMT is in a better alignment with the natural cycles of daylight and darkness.

He emphasises that "natural daylight in the morning is crucial for maintaining an optimal alignment of our body clocks with day and night, which is essential for optimal sleep and overall health".

Recommended reading:

When do clocks go forward UK? Date clocks change in 2024

Why do the clocks go back and was the measure really introduced to help farmers?

Changing the clocks harms the nation’s sleep, researchers say

He added: "Restoring permanent Standard Time (GMT) would mean our clocks would be closely aligned to solar time, and while it would mean earlier sunsets in the summer, there would be additional benefits to health from improved sleep and circadian alignment due to increased exposure to morning sunlight from autumn to spring."

Arguments for British Summer Time:

There have been numerous proposals for changing or abandoning this practice ever since, but none have taken root.

Critics believe that such changes would adversely affect residents of Northern England and Scotland, where the sun rises later.