Most readers of this blog will now be on Daylight Saving Time. Here in Saskatchewan we didn’t set our clocks ahead. When I was a boy, the province was on Mountain Time and towns and cities could choose whether to go on Daylight Saving Time. In addition, the eastern half of the province lies in the Central Time zone and some towns there opted for Central Time. It made for much confusion, even on a short trip. The frustration prompted a decision to place the whole province on Central Standard Time year round.

Recent studies suggest that Saskatchewan may be on to something. Setting clocks ahead for DST messes up our biological rhythms, which can be disruptive for people who have difficulty getting to sleep. Besides insomnia, the studies note an 11% increase in traffic accidents in the week following the time change, an increase in workplace accidents and a 55% increase in heart attacks. A move to Saskatchewan (or Indiana, or Arizona) would eliminate that stress. (I’m not aware of any studies on the effects of the stress caused by relocating.)