Journey To: Portfolio

The clock goes forward an hour on Sunday, March 9

A cute one for CBC Kids News. The challenge? Finding a fresh angle on an event that happens twice a year, every year… easy enough, right?
Proud of how it came together—and even more excited for what’s next!

-Journey

Most parts of Canada will spring forward on March 9 — meaning many of us will lose an hour of sleep when the clocks jump ahead at 2 a.m. 

So, you might feel extra tired on Monday morning.

Turns out there’s a scientific excuse for you to sleep in. According to a 2022 report by the Canadian Sleep Society, teens are “particularly impacted” by the time change.  

Changing your natural sleep schedule even by an hour can cause negative side effects such as irritability, poor daytime functioning and, of course, sleepiness.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine says there are a few reasons that time changes can be harder on teens, such as early mornings, extracurriculars and a tendency to stay up late — for studying, of course! (Or maybe it’s scrolling…)

So why do we change our clocks? 

Turns out, we’ve been doing it on the second Sunday of March every year since 1918. 

Keep reading for some tips on how to manage the time change.

But first, press play to understand why we “spring forward.”

Tips for tackling the time change

Here are some ways you can avoid feeling sluggish after springing forward on Monday morning. 

• Start now: Give yourself a few extra days to reset your sleep schedule by waking up an hour earlier than usual. This will make you tired sooner, allowing you to doze off earlier.
• Skip out: Avoid caffeine and sugar-filled things like soda if you want a good night’s sleep.
• Power down: Spend 30 minutes away from your screens before bed. Did you know darkness directly affects how sleepy you feel? Your cellphone light could be what’s keeping you up. 

Don’t worry — it’s not all bad news and hard work. The clocks going forward means spring is right around the corner. 

In October we asked teens from Toronto, Ontario, how they felt about the time change. 

Here’s how some Canadian kids feel about changing the clocks: