Iceland’s Government Exploring Three Options On Seasonal Time Changes

A new policy paper within Icelandic government offices is exploring three possible options when it comes to seasonal time changes in Iceland, RÚV reports.

Unlike most European countries, Iceland does not change its clocks in the autumn and spring. Recent research conducted in the country has shown that Icelanders on average do not get enough sleep, which can contribute to health problems. To remedy this, three options are being considered.

The first option is to launch an educational campaign that teaches adults the importance of sleep, and encourages them to go to bed earlier. This could have wider reaching effects, such as stores not being open as late, and sporting events being held earlier in the evening.

The second option would be to set clocks back an hour, the downside of this being that it would get darker again sooner in the afternoon.

The third option would be to open schools and even places of business later in the morning in the autumn. However, this could create problems if school and work hours between parents and children end up out of sync.

The idea of changing the clocks in Iceland has been an ongoing discussion for the past several years. This discussion picked up steam last autumn when it was determined that Iceland is probably in the wrong time zone, which brings with it its own problems.

What new steps the Icelandic government will take to remedy these issues still remains to be seen.