A new survey seeks Australian views on daylight savings.

With Daylight Saving Time (DST) taking effect across Australia, excluding NT, WA, and Queensland, the topic has become a subject of international debate.
Europe is contemplating abolishing DST, while the USA is considering making the time change permanent. 

In response, the Sleep Health Foundation (SHF) has launched a national survey to gauge Australian opinions on DST. 

The survey aims to uncover regional trends and sleeping preferences, such as whether respondents are night owls or morning types.

DST involves adjusting clocks forward by one hour during summer, originally intended to encourage outdoor activities after work and school. 

Roughly 20 per cent of the world practises DST, with only southeastern Australian states currently observing it.

The contentious nature of DST has led to widespread scientific research and policy changes. 

The European Union recently updated its DST regulations, and the USA is deliberating similar changes.

In late 2021, the Sleep Health Foundation established an international expert working group to study how DST affects Australians. 

Dr Moira Junge, CEO of the foundation, noted that the interest in DST stemmed from the one-hour sleep loss experienced at the beginning of summer. 

However, the expert group has since explored the broader implications of this significant public policy issue.

Professor Russell Foster, Head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at Oxford University, UK, and a member of the working group, says it is important to study DST's impacts in Australia, where only half the country observes the time change.
“Australia provides an important case study of DST and its impacts. Only half the country observes the “summer” time change, suggesting that more evidence is urgently required to inform national policy,” he said.
To gather public input on DST's effects, the Sleep Health Foundation has initiated a nationwide survey. 

Dr Junge encourages participation from all Australians, regardless of whether they reside in a DST-observing region. 

While various Australian states have conducted referenda on DST, the foundation aims to gain insights from across the country. The SHF invites media coverage to raise awareness of the survey among the general public.

People wanting to contribute to this consultation are encouraged to visit the Sleep Health Foundation’s website and complete a 5-minute survey. The survey will remain open from Sept 28 to Nov 1 2023.