Shedding Some Light on the Daylight Saving Time Situation

Last year I reported on the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, which would extend Daylight Saving Time (Fun Fact: it’s spelled daylight saving time, not savings) year-round, eliminating the need to “fall back” and “spring forward.” The senate unanimously approved this bill, but the House of Representatives hasn’t passed it, nor has President Biden signed it into effect.

This bill was reintroduced this year, yet the House still hasn’t voted. So for now, we’ll be setting our clocks forward an hour this Sunday, March 12. But while we always lament a messed-up sleep schedule, does this annoyance really have an impact on our sleep and overall health?

Another fun fact is that Daylight Saving Time (DST) lasts 8 months of the year, and only the other four are ‘standard time,’ which means the sun is at it’s highest point at noon. With DST, it gets darker later and the morning is darker longer. Both of these factors contribute to lost sleep that can last for a while, since our internal clocks are screwed up.

This switch to DST makes it brighter out later, as we established. This causes our bodies to release the drowsiness-inducing hormone melatonin later, which means we won’t be tired when we should be getting to bed. Teen sleep deprivation is another horrible effect of DST.

The worst though, might be an increase in both heart attacks and car crashes in March, right around when we spring forward. As for kids, we have to go to school in darkness, posing a danger for those who walk or bike especially. And for fellow Michiganders and others in northern states, you know the sun won’t rise until mid-morning, which is really dangerous for anyone on the roads.

So, maybe the Sunshine Protection Act shouldn’t be passed. Maybe we should introduce the Let’s-Be-Like-Alaska-And-Hawaii-And-Permanently-Switch-To-Standard-Time Act, or the Standard Time Protection Act for short.

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LUKE FANN

Editor at The City Voice

Hello, my name is Luke Fann. I love to read and write myself into a fantastical realm, but I love all genres. Of course, such a task requires assistance from my parents and older brother. I've feasted on alligators and tamed beasts like alpacas (my favorite animal), but none of that compares to my greatest weapon: a pencil. I am an editor here for the City Voice, and this is my second year writing for it.