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Calls for doing away with Daylight Saving Time might have something to do with sleep quality

While more than 70 countries alter their clocks, the US has been looking at ways to axe the practice which might affect sleep schedules.

BY THE DAILYNET STAFF

PUBLISHED JUL 23, 2024

Cover Image Source: Pexels | Monstera Production

From traditions in different parts of the world to cultural practices, there are several things people across the world do every year, but not a lot of them know the history and rationale behind them. People in many countries set their clocks back an hour in May as their daylight saving seasons come to an end, and this concept was first introduced by George Hudson, who thought this would give people more sunlight. However, in today's fast-paced world, many feel that this practice is no longer required and should be eradicated.

While more than 70 countries alter their clocks, the US has been looking at ways to axe the practice but Americans don't realise that they aren't the only people doing this. The entirety of the European Union has DST from the last Sunday in March to the Last Sunday in October. Israel and Egypt on the other hand practice DST for seven months a year, while places in Australia and New Zealand have DST for six months.

Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Aphiwat chuangchoem — Representative Image Source: Pexels | Aphiwat chuangchoem

However, it's the US and Canada that have the lengthiest DST running for almost eight months from the second Sunday in March to the First Sunday in November. Lately, there has been an emerging trend to do away with DST as health experts suggest that this alteration can take a toll on the human body. Back in 2022, the American Medical Association called for the eradication of DST, saying that it can take months for humans to adjust to a new sleep schedule after the clock changes.

Others believe that the adoption of a permanent standard time will not only lead to more consistent sleep patterns but could also help people go to bed earlier in the summer and enjoy more natural light in the morning, as per the New York Post.

Some countries, like China, India, and Japan are known for not practicing DST. Japan famously had DST for only three years, while India had eradicated DST back in the 70s.

According to a YouGov poll, Americans no longer want to “spring forward” or “fall back” since they want things to be constant. This poll also found that 6 in 10 Americans (62%) said they would like to stop changing their clocks.

Another 2023 survey from Payless Power found that 57% people believed that daylight saving time failed to achieve the goal of conserving energy. "Nearly 1 in 6 said that changing their clocks actually cost them an average of $51 more a month or $408 annually on their electric bill," as per News Journal.

Originally, DST was introduced in the US, during World War I to save money on fuel as well as light and heat in homes. It was later brought back in 1966 to standardize the wide range of time zones in the states. There are already a few states that do not have DST, like Hawaii and most of Arizona, and 28 states have passed laws or resolutions trying to make daylight saving time a year-round thing to replace the practice of changing clocks twice a year. On the other hand, some states have passed HB 1013 to give states a permanent DST and one of them is Florida which says, "As the 'Sunshine State,' Florida should be kept sunny year-round."