Tired This Morning? Don’t Blame Daylight Saving Time!

Many of you are waking up tired today and most will blame it on Daylight Saving Time which began over the weekend. We'll complain about our lost hour of sleep and how it's now dark when we go to work. For the record, it's ALWAYS dark when I go to work, but I digress. To be fair though, many of us complain each November too. Sure we get that extra hour of sleep back but DST ends, but then it gets dark at 4 in the afternoon! I believe the solution isn't to get rid of Daylight Saving Time. The solution is to never get rid of it.

First, lets get our terminology straight. Daylight Saving Time is from March through November when the sun sets later in the day. In November we fall back into Standard Time when the sun sets earlier. Many people think that the reason the feel so glum in November are because of the effects of DST ending. It's actually Standard Time beginning! Yes, there are adverse effects to losing an hour of sleep like we all did this weekend, but the solution isn't to end DST. It's to never get rid of it.

Some state governments are stepping in. California passed Proposition 7 in 2018. It provided permanent Daylight Saving Time for the state. The measure permits the state legislature to implement year round DST with a two thirds vote following federal approval. Florida has passed similar legislation. Perhaps Iowa should follow suit and be a leader in the DST battle.

Imagine a world where daylight reaches the evening hours everyday. Where it never gets dark at 4 in the afternoon. A world where you don't have to reset clock twice a year. Where you don't have to worry about oversleeping due to a time change. Daylight Saving Time isn't the enemy. It's the answer.

[via Slate]