2021 could be the last time we need to change our clocks
www.forbes.com/sites /ericmack/2021/03/11 /daylight-saving-tim e-is-here-and-i
This Sunday morning many Americans will wake a little less rested due to the annual ritual of moving to Daylight Saving Time, when clocks around the country magically jump ahead an hour at 2:00 a.m., local time.
But in 2021 there is a mounting heap of research, rhetoric and political will to ensure that March 14 will be the last time we ever adjust our clocks.
A survey commissioned by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and conducted in July of last year found that 63 percent of 2,007 adults surveyed support the elimination of seasonal time changes. 25 percent were neutral on the issue and only eleven percent opposed getting rid of Daylight Saving Time.
An Associated Press poll in 2019 found 70 percent disliked switching their clocks and a YouGov poll from last October found 66 percent want to scrap the annual time warp.
So that's a pretty consistent super majority of Americans opposed to saving Daylight Saving.
In addition to the general annoyance and hassle (which, to be fair, has been greatly lessened by smarter clocks, phones and devices that make the adjustments automatically), a growing pile of research has documented the detriments of Daylight Saving.
"The time change causes misalignment between the body's daily rhythm and the clock, making it harder to fall asleep at night, disrupting sleep quality, and leading to sleep loss which can negatively impact health and safety," says Dr. Shannon Sullivan, a clinical professor of sleep medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.
The semi-annual shift in clocks has been linked to a surge in traffic accidents, robberies and even heart attacks in the days that follow.
But of course, there are those who find the annual ritual of springing forward refreshing. Sunset instantly comes an hour later, seemingly increasing the length and possibilities of each day - something particularly valuable for those of us who don't typically rise with the sun on the daily.
A bill now introduced in the US Congress aims to keep this benefit while throwing out the shock of the semi-annual shift by making Daylight Saving Time permanent.
Some jurisdictions, like Hawaii and Arizona, have already done away with the time change. Others, such as Florida, have passed legislation to do so, but contingent on the passage of related federal legislation.
Killing off Daylight Saving in Arizona, in particular, has come with its own confusing considerations. From the outside, the net result is that the state essentially spends half the year in the Pacific Time Zone and the other half on Mountain Time.
Subscribe
Sign In
Mar 11, 2021,01:07pm EST|7,004 views
Daylight Saving Time Is Here And It Could Be The Last Time We 'Spring Forward'
Eric Mack
Eric MackContributor
Science
I cover science and innovation and products and policies they create.
Follow
Listen to article
4 minutes
Clock drawn in sand at water's edge
Daylight Saving Time could be permanently washed away in 2021. GETTY
This Sunday morning many Americans will wake a little less rested due to the annual ritual of moving to Daylight Saving Time, when clocks around the country magically jump ahead an hour at 2:00 a.m., local time.
But in 2021 there is a mounting heap of research, rhetoric and political will to ensure that March 14 will be the last time we ever adjust our clocks.
A survey commissioned by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and conducted in July of last year found that 63 percent of 2,007 adults surveyed support the elimination of seasonal time changes. 25 percent were neutral on the issue and only eleven percent opposed getting rid of Daylight Saving Time.
An Associated Press poll in 2019 found 70 percent disliked switching their clocks and a YouGov poll from last October found 66 percent want to scrap the annual time warp.
MORE FROM FORBES
A Brief History Of Daylight Saving Time
By Kiona N. Smith
So that's a pretty consistent super majority of Americans opposed to saving Daylight Saving.
In addition to the general annoyance and hassle (which, to be fair, has been greatly lessened by smarter clocks, phones and devices that make the adjustments automatically), a growing pile of research has documented the detriments of Daylight Saving.
MORE FOR YOU
New Research Finds A Connection Between Domestic Violence And These Two Personality Disorders
This Scientist Helps Andean Forests And Ecuador's Women In STEM
Exceptional Fossil Preservation Suggests That Discovering Dinosaur DNA May Not Be Impossible
"The time change causes misalignment between the body's daily rhythm and the clock, making it harder to fall asleep at night, disrupting sleep quality, and leading to sleep loss which can negatively impact health and safety," says Dr. Shannon Sullivan, a clinical professor of sleep medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.
The semi-annual shift in clocks has been linked to a surge in traffic accidents, robberies and even heart attacks in the days that follow.
But of course, there are those who find the annual ritual of springing forward refreshing. Sunset instantly comes an hour later, seemingly increasing the length and possibilities of each day - something particularly valuable for those of us who don't typically rise with the sun on the daily.
A bill now introduced in the US Congress aims to keep this benefit while throwing out the shock of the semi-annual shift by making Daylight Saving Time permanent.
"The Sunshine Protection Act of 2021" has been introduced by a bipartisan group of Senators and would make Sunday's clock shift the last ever, effectively locking in Daylight Saving Time going forward.
Some jurisdictions, like Hawaii and Arizona, have already done away with the time change. Others, such as Florida, have passed legislation to do so, but contingent on the passage of related federal legislation.
Killing off Daylight Saving in Arizona, in particular, has come with its own confusing considerations. From the outside, the net result is that the state essentially spends half the year in the Pacific Time Zone and the other half on Mountain Time.
But the Navajo Nation, which takes up the northeast quadrant of the state, does observe Daylight Saving. As if this weren't a bewildering enough wrinkle, the Hopi Reservation, which is geographically surrounded by Navajo lands, joins Arizona in ignoring the clock shifts.
All this can make keeping appointments across northeastern Arizona, especially on the second weekend in March, slightly less difficult than advanced calculus.
Nonetheless, Arizonans seem satisfied with their state's stance on shifting all those seconds twice a year. Perhaps they're on to something. It will be up to lawmakers this spring and summer to decide if the rest of us will join them.
.jpg)
