Reader Friday: Daylight Savings Time – Love It or Leave It?

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Daylight Savings Time – Keep it or Discard it?

On Sunday, 11-5-23, daylight savings time ended in 48 states, and we returned to our regular standard time. Two states, Arizona and Hawaii, do not observe daylight savings time.

Benjamin Franklin advocated the idea in 1784. It was formally adopted during WWI in an attempt to conserve energy. There is controversy as to whether it does. And some experts believe that extending the use of daylight hours at the end of the day may actually increase the use of heating or air conditioning, thus increasing the use of electrical energy.

There are those who advocate for keeping daylight savings time in use continuously. There are those who would leave the system the way it is. And there are some who would discard daylight savings time altogether.

Besides the confusion of changing times, there are concerns for the health effects of changing back and forth.

 Many articles proclaim the adverse effects of daylight savings time. Here’s a link to an article from Johns Hopkins from March of this year.

And here are two paragraphs from the article:

LESS SLEEP MEANS MORE HEALTH RISKS.

“Moving the clocks forward in the spring results in going to sleep and waking up before our internal clocks are ready for us to. This misalignment lasts for the duration of DST,” Spira says, “and can reduce the amount of sleep we’re able to get, to the detriment of our health.”

“The consequences of insufficient sleep include decreases in cardiovascular health, increases in diabetes and obesity, poorer mental health, lower cognitive performance, and an increase in the risk of motor vehicle accidents,” he says.

So, today’s questions:

  • Does changing back and forth to daylight savings time affect your reading or writing habits, ability to focus and concentrate, or your mental well-being?
  • Are you in favor of leaving the system the way it is or staying on either standard time or daylight savings time continuously?

47 thoughts on “Reader Friday: Daylight Savings Time – Love It or Leave It?”

  1. I’m fortunate to live in Arizona where legislators are intelligent enough not to cut a foot off one end of a blanket, sew it to the other end, and assume they’ve created a longer blanket. (grin)

    • Excellent analogy, Harvey. Thanks for weighing in on the subject.

      I agree with you. And the effect of cutting and sewing time may actually create a shorter blanket. After all, when two ends are sewn together, you have to overlap them first.

  2. Coincidentally, Harvey… my older two boys live in Phoenix, and I hate having to try and remember whether it’s three hours earlier out there or just two… math not being my strong suit to begin with… 🙄

    As to my mental well-being, that’s been in question for a long time anyway…

    • Good points, George. I have relatives in Arizona, and we live in Ohio. My wife and I are constantly asking what time it is in Arizona before we make a phone call. I guess the problem is, what time is it in Ohio.

      Thanks for stopping by.

    • Thanks, George. I was in Yuma for a long time (same desert as Phoenix) but the heat got me once, so now we live in southeast AZ in the Chihuahua desert. A little more moderate.

  3. I agree with Harvey. We still get the same 24 hours no matter what and they fly by too fast! Rather than changing clocks, it would be nice to slow down the passage of time.

    • Good morning, Debbie. Amen, on slowing down the passage of time.

      When you travel between two time zones, how long does it take you to feel like you’ve “acclimatized” to the new time?

      In one of the articles, the author claimed that the effect of changing to day light savings time could last until we return to standard time. That’s currently about eight months. That seems like a long time to get accustomed to the “new time.”

      Have a great weekend on “real” time!

  4. Being in Arizona, I can’t count the number of times I’ve said “I wish the rest of the country would pick a time and stick with it!” I’m elated that Arizona doesn’t flim-flam back and forth, but it doesn’t help because we’re trying to figure out what time it is somewhere else. LOL!

    And my massive pet peeve is, when the time changes in the spring, someone will say to me “Oh, so you’re on the same time as California now, eh?” And I very firmly tell them “NO! California is now on Arizona time!” GRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

    The time changing has no effect on my writing since there’s still only 24 hours in a day & they continue to be gobbled up mostly by work/chores.

    It can be a bit tricky on Sundays. In addition to my local church, I attend services virtually on both the east and west coast. So while most people are used to going to Sunday School around 9 or 9:30 a.m., mine starts at 6:00 a.m. virtually over the spring/summer. 😎 😎 But that’s okay. I’m an early bird.

    • Thanks for your ideas on the subject, BK. I wish the rest of the country would pick a time a stay with it. And, to me, it doesn’t make sense to use day light savings time if we are going to stay on the same time. I would advocate for using standard time, staying with it, and tell schools and business, and everyone else, “Feel free to change your schedule as you see fit.” The earth doesn’t stop and spin backwards for an hour.

      Have a wonderful weekend on sanity time.

  5. Good morning, Steve.

    What Harvey said. When I was a wee lad, so long ago that the only nets we had were used to catch butterflies, standard time was referred to as “God’s time” and DST was called “fool’s time.” Just so.

    Have a terrific, standard-time weekend, Steve!

    • Thanks, Joe. I like your comment on the nets.

      I had not heard of the other names for DST and standard time. How appropriate. I’m surprised someone hasn’t thought of another name for DST that would incorporate Ben Franklin (a very wise man) and an obvious lapse in his sanity.

      Have a beautiful autumn weekend on God’s time!

  6. I don’t care. Just pick one and stay there. I’m still not adjusted to the recent switch, and the dog is wondering why suppertime is so late.

    • Yes, Terry, it is the switching back and forth that is so crazy. “Pick one and stay there.” I hope your dog gets used to standard time quickly. If they ever let us vote on whether to keep DST, the pets should be allowed to vote, too. I wonder how the dairy farmers handle the craziness.

        • I wonder if those dairy cows are kept on one time or another. I don’t think they would know when to come to the barn if the times were changed. Creatures of habit.

  7. I’m not a morning person, and the switch to daylight saving time in March always hits me like a ton of bricks. It takes me a couple of weeks to recover. “Falling back” this month is not as hard, though I’m getting sleepy in the evening because my body feels it’s an hour later than the clock states.

    I’d be for staying on standard time, period. It fits our circadian rhythms. I wake up more rested because I’m not getting up as early. Minor selfish note—standard time means I get to stargaze earlier in the evening since night falls sooner.

    However, if the majority wanted year-round daylight saving time, I’d be okay with it. It’s the change that causes me so much grief. It really KOs my morning writing in the spring.

    • Thanks, Dale, for weighing in. I agree with you; my first choice would be staying on standard time. My second choice would be staying on DST.

      I never thought of the stargazing angle. Wow, Venus has been bright. Have you been watching it? A vote for Standard Stargazing Time.

      Have a great Standard Stargazing Time week!

  8. It is an idea that is WAY past its usefulness. Factories are lit by lightbulbs not skylights. I would be happy with DST 365.

    As a night person (workday was 4pm-2am) now a day person (workday 7am-4pm) the only real difference I see is when I need my headlights.

    • Good points, Alan. Ben Franklin was thinking about candles and lamp oil when he came up with the idea. We’re WAY past those days.

      To me, the biggest argument against changing back and forth is the multitude of health issues. Let’s pick one (DST vs standard time) and stay with it. And if we’re not changing back and forth, does it really make sense to use something other than the time zone we’re in?

      Thanks, Alan.

  9. I’m so glad to know I’m not the only person who prefers Standard Time!! And I’m with everyone else on PLEASE pick one and stick with it! Just about the time I get used to DST, they change it. And as much as I love Standard, it’s still hard on my body to adjust.
    It’s my understanding that the Senate approved year-round DST but the House won’t even bring it up. What’s new in DC?

    • You’re not alone, Patricia. And thanks for the reminder about congress. If we’re going to stay on one time year around, why does it make sense to use something other than standard time? If a certain group, business, school, etc., wants more daylight hours at the end of the day, then they can start their activities earlier in the morning. Just sayin’. Let each entity set their own schedule.

      Thanks for stopping by, and I hope your weekend includes catching up on sleep.

  10. Normally, no. I’m on no real schedule so I can ignore it. This time, heck, yes. My stomach wants food way too early or late, and nightfall makes no mental sense at all. My brain isn’t working at full capacity, either.

    • So, is that a vote for leaving the time the same (versus changing back and forth)? I’m with you on the appetite. I think it takes my appetite longer to adjust than the sleepiness/wakefulness.

      Thanks, Marilynn.

  11. Timely topic, Steve! 🙂 Looks like you’ve got a consensus here. I vote with the rest to stay on Standard Time year round. Harvey’s analogy is perfect.

    You would think the savings on health issues would be enough to convince our lawmakers to abandon an outdated idea.

    • I’m with you on staying on standard time. I think it’s healthier That’s what derailed the move to stop the time change in Congress. The Senate had passed legislation to make daylight saving time year around, but some House members pointed to studies showing that standard was better and wanted to make that permanent instead. Which I’d love, but I’ll take permanent DST as an alternative.

    • Thanks, Kay. I like your vote.

      On the issue with congress, when did our lawmakers ever reduce spending? Maybe this would be a good first step in a 12 step program.

  12. I hate it.

    My preference for one would be DST; I like more sun in the evening.

    When I was an international consultant, it was a nightmare trying to sync everyone up on group calls. EU was always about 2 weeks off the U.S. change. And Russia and Turkey never changed.

    It’s madness.

  13. We were never meant to live by clocks. We’re built to ebb and flow with sunlight and darkness, and the natural rhythm of nature. And so, I try to do just that, regardless of government officials’ point of view.

    Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Steve!

  14. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since 11/5. And that makes me grumpy. I have a hard enough time sleeping without Clock Day. I’m with everyone else, just pick one and stick with it already.

    In this day and age, when we have flashlights on our phones and wrists, what need have we of all this switcherooing?

    Personally, I’d like more daylight at the end of the day, but I’d take either as long as we pick one.

    Have a great ST day, everyone! (You, too, AZ and HI…)

    • Hi, Deb. Sounds like we’re in agreement.

      You point out one thing. The amount of daylight at the beginning or ending of the day will be different depending on whether we live on the eastern edge or western edge of whatever time zone we live in.

      I always thought it was terrible when DST started in March, and little kindergartners on the western edge of the eastern time zone were standing out in the darkness and winter waiting to get on the school bus.

      Have a great standard time weekend!

  15. This time change nonsense is one of my biggest irritations. As others have pointed out, all we are doing is manipulating our clocks and changing nothing but how early we get up or how early we go to bed. GRRRR

    When I was working and getting up at O’Dark Thirty, the time change messed me up for days. I was a zombie for nearly a week during springing forward, but worse, are the families with babies, pets, or other factors that won’t be regulated by messing with a clock.

    Okay, now that my rant is over, I wish they would just stop changing back and forth. I would prefer standard time but would capitulate to DST just to keep the peace. Sigh.

  16. Cecilia, I feel your pain. You are so right to call it “nonsense.” And the babies and pets, etc. are the biggest victims.

    I’m with you on preferring standard time forever, but I’ll take DST if they’ll just leave it in place.

    Thanks for ranting. Isn’t that what blogging is all about. I hope you feel better!

  17. Standard time, please! <–Aimed at all the folks far south of the Canadian Border who don't think about the fact that there are places in the country where DST means the sun's coming up at 4:30AM!! Explain that to your kid/dog/stomach….

  18. As someone who has moved his 32 times troubleshooting and traveling across the US, parts of Europe, Asia and bits of northern Africa, I pay little notice to the switch between standard and daylight savings time. Even when I established a home in a place I thought would provide more stability for my family, I often spent more than half the time away. For many years, I ran on sun time, often greeting it peeking up over the horizon.

    Looking back I realized the corporate role I played was much like Machiavelli’s general in The Prince. Someone sent to a troublesome province to do the dirty job of straightening an ambiguous mess out so someone with a more gentle hand could come in and manage it. Then it was time for me to leave. Heading for the next trouble spot and taking most of the animosity with me.

    Lots of bricks to mortar into fictionalized accounts for manuscripts.

    • Thanks for stopping by, Lars. You have an interesting story, and I like the metaphor with the sun rising. You fly into a mess where the sun is setting, clean up the mess that needs fixing and then fly off into the rising sun of a disaster averted.

      Have a great day filled with sunshine.

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