As Daylight Saving ended Nov. 3, it’s normal to feel a little off. The annual federal event known as Daylight Saving can mean different things to different people. For some parents, it is an occurrence that throws their kids’ bedtimes for a loop. For sleep-deprived adolescents, it takes away, or adds, one hour of much needed sleep. Whatever the case may be, it can be difficult to determine why it even exists in the first place. Was it to benefit farmers, or was it a way for a former US president to make his people more productive?
Daylight Saving Time is the practice of moving the clocks forward one hour from Standard Time during the spring months and changing the time back in the fall. Contrary to popular belief, Daylight Saving Time wasn’t created to benefit farmers. That popular myth put the blame of this event on them, when it wasn’t really their “fault” at all. The man credited for the initial idea of this event was Benjamin Franklin, who was inspired in the 18th century when he concluded he was wasting his time in bed in the mornings.
While Franklin was credited with the idea, this federal event was only first put into practice in 1916, this time as an attempt to bring down wartime energy costs by better syncing natural daylight and work.
Now, in the 21st century, some experts believe that Daylight Savings should be abolished, as it has lost some of its relevance. Tord Wingren, an engineer who studies sleep and light exposure, believes it should be discontinued for health reasons.“The most important synchronizer of our circadian rhythms is the daylight, which helps all our body clocks to stay in sync,” he said.
Jagdish Khubchandani, professor of public health at New Mexico State University, argues that these time shifts can affect these circadian rhythms, contributing to sleep deprivation. “Clock shifting can deprive working individuals [and] school-going populations from this boost, as they may have to start their day in darker times,” Khubchandani said.
Daylight Savings is here for now, and the next day we turn our clocks ahead is Mar. 9, 2025.
Many people believe Daylight Saving is pronounced Daylight Savings, with an extra S at the end. This is not true. The two US states that do not participate in Daylight Savings are Arizona and Hawaii. Arizona decided to not change their clocks because of the hotter temperatures, and Hawaii opted out because it decided it was unnecessary as it gets enough sunlight due to its closeness to the equator. (Photo/iStock)
