It’s that time of year again where you spend a good Sunday resetting clocks and trying to figure out whether you were getting more or less sleep. Daylight Saving Time is the bi-annual tradition that has us all “Springing Forward” or “Falling Back.” Recently though, there’s been a push to stop this practice and today we’ll be discussing how DST came to be, as well as why we feel it’s a good idea to end it.
Save the Daylight
The idea of Daylight Saving Time goes all the way back to George Hudson in 1895. As more industries became reliant on clocks and rigid shifts, the idea was proposed to shift the clocks forward an hour in the summer to give employees extra daylight at the end of their shift. During the wintertime though, they needed to shift the clocks back an hour to gain daylight in the morning, due to shorter days.
The original implementation of Daylight Saving Time in the United States was seemingly random; with localities choosing whether to adopt the system or not.
However, in 1966, the Uniform Time Act was passed and mandated a standard time change nationwide. (With opting out becoming a state-mandated option.) Thus began our twice-a-year habit of changing our clocks around.
Living in the Future
These days, industries have changed and there’s far less clock punching and far more keyboard punching. We’re still left changing our clocks twice a year with Daylight Saving Time. Those that still support the change have argued that the extra hour of daylight encourages people to get outside more. The tourism industry also supports the change, due to the increased evening traffic they see. It’s a common misconception that Daylight Saving Time helps conserve energy, as all the electricity being consumed worldwide makes the effect negligible.
The biggest argument against changing our clocks twice a year is what you’re feeling right now. Chances are, you’re feeling the disruption of your circadian rhythm. While for many of us, it’s simply a little extra tiredness for a few days or a week, some industries have actually seen an increase in workplace accidents. So it’s not just mild discomfort for some people, it can be a real danger.
What Can We Do To Get Rid of Daylight Saving Time?
If you’ve had enough of all the clock swapping for Daylight Saving Time, there’s some good news. The Senate has actually passed a bill to end the practice of the clock-switching, but time is running out for the House to pass the bill.
As with any law change, the best bet is to reach out to your Congressional representative directly with your feedback. Consider writing them a short message showing that you support abolishing Daylight Saving Time. If you’re looking for some additional resources, check out Standard Time, which offers more history and issues caused by DST and proposes a new system of a single standard time.
With a little luck and enough petitioning to Congress, we can all sleep better in the future, especially if we’re not having to change our clocks.