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On October 30th, the controversial practice of daylight saving time ended.
Daylight saving time has been controversial for decades, and for good reason. It was initially conceived as a way to conserve energy during World War I and better use daylight in warmer months. But now that our energy consumption habits have changed and our understanding of the impacts of daylight-saving time has grown, it’s clear the practice no longer serves its original purpose — and it may even do more harm than good.
Daylight saving time has been proven to have far-reaching health consequences. According to sleep expert Adam Spira, professor of mental health at Johns Hopkins University, “The scientific evidence points to acute increases in adverse health consequences from changing the clocks, including heart attack and stroke.” This is because it disrupts our circadian rhythms, which hurts our sleep quality and affects a whole range of bodily functions.
The circadian rhythm is the body's internal 24-hour clock that regulates sleepiness and alertness in response to light and darkness. According to the National Library of Medicine, daylight saving time disrupts the natural adjustment of the human clock due to the effect of late-evening light on the circadian rhythm.
Another issue with daylight saving time is that it disrupts people’s work schedules and productivity. Although the idea behind it is to give people more daylight hours during the evening, the shift in time doesn’t necessarily align with when people are most productive. When people lose an hour it can lead to sluggishness, difficulty focusing, and irritability.
Studies have shown that productivity dips in the days following the time change, and it can take several days, if not longer, for people to get back to their normal rhythm. In a fast-paced, always-on world, the last thing anyone needs is an additional hurdle to overcome to get through the workday.
According to Spira, daylight saving time also hurts your driving ability. A 2020 study found that the time shift increases the risk of fatal car accidents by 6%. Toward the end of daylight saving time, it gets darker and darker, making it harder to drive.
For some, the effects of daylight saving time extend beyond physical health and into mental well-being. The loss of an hour of sleep can have significant consequences on people’s moods and mental state. For example, people who already struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder might find that the abrupt change in lighting can exacerbate their symptoms.
The original idea behind daylight saving time was to conserve energy, but it wasn’t successful. The thought was that, by extending daylight hours, people would use less lighting, and thus conserve power. Energy savings during daylight saving time are minimal due to modern technology, which has dramatically reduced the need for lighting after dark. The energy savings from reduced lighting are offset by increased energy consumption, such as people using more air conditioning or heating during longer daylight hours.
Daylight saving time is a relic of the past that creates more problems than it solves. It disrupts sleep, can cause health issues, hurts our mental well-being and has little to no impact on energy conservation. It’s time to reconsider whether the clock shifts should remain a part of our lives. It’s time we leave daylight saving time behind and let our schedules and bodies operate naturally.
Jack Davis (he/him) is a sophomore studying journalism.
