LETTER: Let's end Daylight Savings Time

Can we please stop the nonsense and stop changing our clocks back and forth and confusing our bodies, our moods and our sleep?

Who is to blame?

Historically, it’s everyone from Benjamin Franklin for conserving energy for light — which turned against itself — to Germany (World War I), to President Lydon B. Johnson, who signed the Uniform Time Act into law in 1966. That backfired, too.

According to an article published by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JH BSPH):

“The changing of the clock means misalignment with our bodies’ natural rhythms.” (March 2023) The article cites surveys from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) which found about 63% of Americans would prefer to eliminate DST, and 55% experience tiredness following the switch.

JH BSPH researchers say that the change has long-term negative consequences for our bodies and minds. They have oodles of research to back up the claims regarding the ill effects of changing our clocks. To name a few, 1) acute increases in adverse health consequences, including heart attack and stroke; 2) heightened risk of mood disturbances; and 3) elevated production of inflammatory markers.

The potential for car crashes also spikes just after the spring forward; a 2020 study (cell.com) found that the switch raises the risk of fatal traffic accidents by 6%.

DST was enacted to conserve energy — but today it may do the opposite. According to the International Association for Energy Economics, as society has evolved, lighting accounts for less overall energy consumption. Rather, extending the use of daylight hours encourages people to use more air conditioning.

Some proponents say the additional daylight in the evening hours during spring/summer are beneficial to mental health. That, too, has been refuted —data from a 2020 study published in PLoS suggests that the change exacerbates mood disorders, depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

According to JHBSPH, sunlight is the most powerful synchronizer of our circadian rhythms — the internally generated clocks our bodies follow. Exposure to more light closer to bedtime makes it harder to fall asleep and can reduce the amount of sleep we’re able to get each night. The study goes on to say that waking up in the dark is bad because exposure to light in the morning alerts us and helps maintain a strong circadian rhythm.

So can our legislators finally get us off DST for good and keep us healthy and happy?

Sue Prelozni

Rio Rancho