Questions are beginning to arise as to whether daylight savings should be continued or not. A continuing debate argues whether its benefits are worth the tiring consequences. 

Daylight Savings Time refers to the annual routine of adding an extra hour to the clock in the fall and cutting out an hour of the day in the spring. The typical Daylight Savings period lasts from the early spring to the late fall. Essentially, this practice shifts the clock to allow for sunlight to last for a longer period while most of the population is still awake.

The autumn “fall back” provides a refreshing extra hour of sleep. But the hour that is lost in the “spring forward” is widely unpopular. Many complain about the time change disrupting their circadian rhythm, or the internal clock that regulates our sleep patterns. Just recently, on March 12th, we began our annual spring forward.

On March 15, 2022, the U.S. Senate proposed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would permanently set the clocks to standard time for the entire year. Experts point out that this would increase daily sunlight exposure which is incredibly important for mental health. The act also seems to have overwhelming bipartisan support from the people. The Senate approved the bill unanimously, however, it failed to even be voted upon in The House of Representatives. Just recently, however, Senator Marco Rubio from Florida reintroduced the bill to the 118th congressional floor.

Daylight Savings Time originates back to the World War I era. In an effort to conserve energy, The Standard Time Act of 1918 was implemented. A common misconception is that the idea was introduced to aid farmers and their harvests. In reality, farmers rallied against the act, due to the fact that it would only disrupt natural farming schedules that had long been successful. In World War II, a similar bill was reintroduced for the same purpose. In post-war years, states had the option of whether they wished to follow DST or not. That legislation remained until 1966 when The Uniform Time Act was passed to make DST routine for almost all U.S. states. The only U.S. lands that do not follow DST are parts of Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam, which all follow permanent Standard Time.

Some states, including Colorado, Washington, Florida, and California, have campaigned for a permanent Daylight Savings Time, which is advocated for under the Sunshine Protection Act. This would mean that the clock wouldn’t fall back in November and Americans would experience a full year of Daylight Savings Time. Permanent Standard Time would mean falling back one last time after the last Daylight Savings period and remaining in that schedule for the foreseeable future.  

Many countries, like China and India, do not observe Daylight Savings Time due to their lack of seasonal climate change. These countries, like many others that are in close proximity to the equator, do not experience such drastic changes in their weather throughout the year like North America does. However, further Eastern countries (not including Europe), with seasonal fluctuation similar to America do not use DST. Based on the geography of the countries that choose to observe DST, it is clear that it has become a largely westernized ritual. 

Studies have consistently shown that such time changes cause chronic sleep disorders, susceptibility to health issues, and excessive fatigue that can lead to potentially dangerous situations like car crashes. Under a more stable schedule, whether that be switching to permanent Standard Time or permanent Daylight Savings Time, the chances of these adverse effects are greatly reduced.