Daylight Saving Time... Because Who Needs Sleep Anyway?
"Daylight saving time—why are they saving it, and where do they keep it?"
... Anonymous
So I’ve been seeing all the cheerful announcements here in the Rain and apparently everywhere else too that Daylight Saving Time arrives this Sunday. This is not news that makes me leap out of my chair with joy! As I’ve written every single year, I hate Daylight Saving Time. Not "mildly dislike." Not “it’s inconvenient.” I mean I really, really hate it.
In fact, I’m already mentally preparing for (and dreading) the two weeks it will takes my body to figure out what in the world just happened to the clock. One minute it’s breakfast time, the next minute your brain thinks it’s the middle of the night and your coffee thinks it’s lunch.
Harry Truman was clearly a wise man. He once described daylight saving time as a “monstrosity in timekeeping,” and honestly I’m starting to think that was the most accurate government statement ever made.
Another wise comment on Daylight Saving Time came from Grumpy Cat, who said "DST just put us one hour closer to death!"
"I don't mind going back to daylight saving time. With inflation, the hour will be the only thing I've saved all year."
... Victor Borge
And before anyone says I’m being dramatic, I’m actually in the majority here. Studies show 56% of Americans dislike Daylight Saving Time.
Americans say DST most often worsens their sleep quality (46%), mood (43%), and mental health (36%). And if you’ve ever tried functioning on that first Monday after the change, you know exactly why. It’s the one day of the year when the entire country collectively looks like it pulled an all-nighter for absolutely no reason.
Then there’s the money angle. About 17% of Americans say daylight saving increases their energy bills by around 18%, while only 5% notice a decrease. So not only are we tired and cranky… we’re apparently paying extra for the privilege.
And science really piles on the bad news. Research shows it can take up to three weeks for people to physically adjust to the time change. In the days right after the switch there’s a measurable increase in heart attacks, strokes, fatal car accidents, mood disorders, sleep problems, and hospital admissions for irregular heartbeats.
All of this raises a very reasonable question: why are we still doing this?
Even experts admit Daylight Saving Time barely saves energy anymore. One study estimated the economic costs of lost productivity and health impacts at somewhere between $400 million and $2 billion.
So let me get this straight: we’re groggy, grumpy, unhealthy, less productive, and possibly paying higher bills… all to keep alive a tradition that started 107 years ago during World War I.
Did you know most of the world doesn’t even bother with Daylight Saving Time anymore? Roughly 176 countries skip the twice-a-year clock shuffle altogether. Their reasons are pretty straightforward: research shows the time change doesn’t really save much energy, and it can create health and safety issues—from sleep disruption to increased accidents. In other words, most of the world looked at this practice and said, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Which makes you wonder… if the rest of the planet has figured this out, why are we still doing it here in the United States?
At this point, the only thing we’re really saving is the tradition itself.
And frankly, I’d be perfectly happy if we saved ourselves the trouble instead.
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