Assessing evidence in translational chronobiology: The cases of Daylight Saving Time and road safety, and of school start times and sleep duration

Abstract

One of the main challenges in translating chronobiology research into clinical practice is represented by differences in how basic scientists and clinicians evaluate evidence. The workshop "Assessing Evidence in Translational Chronobiology," which was held at the University of Surrey in June 2023, addressed this issue by bringing together basic scientists and clinicians to evaluate evidence on two specific topics: the impact of Daylight Saving Time (DST) on road traffic accidents and the relationship between delayed school start times (SSTs) and sleep duration in high school students. A comprehensive literature search was conducted for discussions during the workshop, which is presented in this review. The studies on both topics were analyzed from varying perspectives, including that of a chronobiologist and a transportation engineer for the DST-centered question, and that of a chronobiologist and an evidence-based medicine expert for the SSTs-centered question. The workshop audience, acting as a Delphi panel, attempted to produce statements/recommendations. It was concluded that most studies suggest that sleep duration benefits from delayed SSTs in high school, while less obvious results were obtained regarding the effect of DST on road safety.

Keywords: Sleep; circadian rhythms; daylight saving time; road traffic accidents; school start times; translational chronobiology.