Picture this: It’s 5pm, you go outside to see a pitch black atmosphere.You’re starting to miss those summer and early fall nights when the sun would beam in the sky until 7 or 8pm.
This strange phenomenon, daylight savings time, is a biannual occurrence. In the United States since 2007, on Sunday November 6th at 2am, clocks are set back an hour, causing it to get darker earlier, and on Sunday March 12th at 2am, they are set forward an hour, causing it to remain lighter for longer. The cycle of the sun doesn’t change, time does, and humans adapt.
There’s a lot of questioning and controversy surrounding daylight savings time and why it was even put into practice. Most people prefer following the post-March 12th cycle where it’s darker in the mornings so they can adjust to waking up with sunlight extending later in the day, allowing more time for activities outdoors.
Daylight savings originated a couple centuries ago so working class individuals could be more productive during the morning in the wintertime and have more time for post-work hobbies and studies in the spring. After being utilized during wartimes as a measure to conserve energy, the United States adopted daylight savings time in March 1918 and have used it ever since.
With this practice comes effects. The change in daylight impacts public transportation, such as buses, trains, and ferries because there are set schedules for certain departures. It’s a hassle for transportation directors to have to go back and change the schedules and get their employees and passengers acclimated to the change. If not adapted to properly, darkness causes more car accidents as well due to inhibited vision. Daylight savings time messes up humans’ natural circadian rhythm for sleep, and the body is not designed to adapt to this time change. Additionally, In 2020, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine petitioned to abolish it due to the decrease in good-quality sleep they observed.
The most common side effect of daylight savings time, especially during the November time change, is seasonal depression, which is medically defined as Seasonal Affective Disorder. When it gets dark earlier, people get tired quicker, are more inclined to stay inside, and are less motivated and productive. To most, dark skies indicate night time or bedtime, and there’s an overall mood decrease when this occurs. According to the Nutritional Light Technology company Solshine,“we designate light as NUTRITION –our bodies literally need to be exposed to it to drive certain activities, including metabolizing nutrients we get from food or supplements.Without full-spectrum light, our bodies will struggle nutritionally, driving a cascade of physical and mental or emotional health problems.”
To address the issue, The Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 was created in hopes of abolishing daylight savings time and was approved by the Senate. However, it awaits approval by President Biden and the House of Representatives before it can be officially put into practice.
There are many ways humans can navigate daylight savings time and look after their health. Sun lamps are available, which mimic solar energy and can psychologically improve mood. To stay active, people can exercise in indoor gyms, tracks, pools, or dance studios, even starting before the November shift so they can maintain a normal routine when daylight savings time hits. Creating balanced schedules every day can decrease fatigue and increase productivity, helping to resist the urge of laying in bed as soon as the sun goes down. A lot of people also recommend taking advantage of the first day of daylight savings time to get up early or at the same time as before the time change. That first early start goes hand in hand with healthy habits moving forward throughout the year.
Hopefully these tips and information will help you better understand and adapt to the daylight changes in the future!