Random Thoughts

Daylight Saving Time

Whose bright idea is this anyway?

We’re all familiar with the saying, “Spring forward, Fall back,” right? I think most can do the falling back part, which marks the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) and a return to Standard Time. It’s the easy, painless one of the two. But for the last couple days after "springing ahead" one hour, many of us are in the midst of a DST hangover.

“Early to bed, early to rise,” sound familiar?  I won’t bore you with the history of DST, but while briefly researching, I found some interesting facts.  And unfounded assumptions.  The biggest surprise for me was to find out that not everyone in the world is participating. Many countries have decided not to mess with time, as well as our own Arizona and Hawaii, forever running on Standard Time. Lucky bastards.

Search and you will find a list of reasons for how the extra daylight is beneficial:

·        Longer summer days

·        More extended time outside participating in healthful activities

·        A boost to tourism and retail business due to the extended day

·        Fewer car accidents and injuries

·        Lower energy bills for a cost savings

I’ll agree that some of these are bonifide benefits. 

But weren’t the days already getting longer without messing with the clocks?  Did we have to steal from the morning to give to the night?

Fewer accidents sound like a benefit, except when you consider that traffic accidents spike the Monday morning and the next several days immediately following the time change, with the darker morning conditions and drivers trying to be alert on less sleep. 

And I’m all for lower energy bills, but how much am I saving by not lighting up my house for an hour each evening.  That savings is probably offset by the increased use of the air conditioner anyway. 

I would have thought farmers would be enthusiasts for DST, but several sources say they can be adversely affected. How do you think Elsa the cow feels when her milking schedule is altered?

And to the credit of DST is the risk of having a heart attack, which may go up due to disturbed sleep and disruption of biological rhythms. 

Who isn't feeling the negative effects of this abrupt shift? It's like having jet-lag without the fun of traveling. A jolt to our internal clocks. I can't speak for you, but I’m feeling less productive and pretty groggy.  And it's Day 2!  For what purpose? So we have a bit more sunlight at the end of the day?

The reality that drove it home for me was the number on my unchanged clock again this morning. My alarms (yes, that’s plural) woke me at 6:00 a.m., but the clock radio told me otherwise:  I was being woken at 5:00 a.m. THAT is the true butt crack of dawn!  My March Madness, and it's not fun.

Maybe next year will be different. Maybe I’ll just boycott DST next year. Anyone want to join me?