Now, don’t get me wrong. An extra hour of sleep tomorrow is going to be nice. But I’m pretty sure I will not be the only one mourning the loss of daylight in the evening that happens this time of year with the end of Daylight Saving Time.
Daylight Saving was instituted so that we could make better use of daylight. Initially purposed by Benjamin Franklin, the idea was that people were more likely to take advantage of an hour of daylight in the evening than they are to be industrious in the morning. The studies may not support this sentiment but I, for one, am a big proponent. In fact, I’d have Daylight Saving all year round.
Everyone says we should get rid of Daylight Saving but I say we should just make that one hour shift forward AND STAY THERE. There are many reasons for eliminating the changes we make in spring and fall but these three are the ones most important to me.
Switching The Clocks Twice A Year Messes With My Sleep Cycle
Anyone who knows me knows how important my sleep is to me. DO NOT MESS WITH MY SLEEP! We are attune to the cycle of the sun and adjusting the clocks with a dial or tap does not translate to that same instant shift in our bodies. Similar to jet lag, I feel off for weeks when we add and remove that hour. I’d love to avoid to not have to deal with the whole process of re-adjusting twice a year.
I Need That Daylight At Night More Than The Morning
I don’t know about you but getting off work in the dark is depressing. It’s like saying you might as well go home and go to bed. Sure, it makes it a little easier to get up in the morning but that is when I have the most energy. With Standard Time, I am ready to hit the sack so early in the evening it feels like such a waste. More daylight in the evening when I need it to motivate and energize me would lead to more productivity.
Daylight Savings Would Mean Safer Hiking In Winter
One of the concerns for any hiker is getting back to the trailhead or to camp before nightfall. Dusk already comes so soon in the winter months, an extra hour really is important. I can think of many a time having more daylight at the end of a hike would have meant a much safer return. And if you have ever done any winter camping, you know that going to bed at camp means being in the tent so early and makes for a very long night. Who couldn’t use more time for exploring once you get to your destination?
What do you think? Would you rather have Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time? How does changing for Daylight Saving Time affect you?
I found this great website with everything you could possibly want to know about Daylight Savings while researching for this post. Did you know:
- During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt instituted year-round Daylight Saving Time, called “War Time,” from February 9, 1942 to September 30, 1945.
- In September 1999, the West Bank was on Daylight Saving Time while Israel had just switched back to standard time. West Bank terrorists prepared time bombs and smuggled them to their Israeli counterparts, who misunderstood the time on the bombs. As the bombs were being planted, they exploded–one hour too early–killing three terrorists instead of the intended victims–two busloads of people.
- Through 2006, Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. ended a few days before Halloween (October 31). Children’s pedestrian deaths are four times higher on Halloween than on any other night of the year.
- To keep to their published timetables, trains cannot leave a station before the scheduled time. So, when the clocks fall back one hour in October, all Amtrak trains in the U.S. that are running on time stop at 2:00 a.m. and wait one hour before resuming.
- A study by the U.S. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration found that crime was consistently less during periods of Daylight Saving Time than during comparable standard time periods. Data showed violent crime down 10 to 13 percent. It is clear that for most crimes where darkness is a factor, such as muggings, there are many more incidents after dusk than before dawn, so light in the evening is most welcome.
- …recent research indicates that pedestrian fatalities from cars soar at 6:00 p.m. during the weeks after clocks are set back in the fall. Walkers are three times as likely to be hit and killed by cars right after the switch than in the month before DST ends.
And this one messed with us on our honeymoon in Utah and Arizona…
- In the U.S., Arizona doesn’t observe Daylight Saving Time, but the Navajo Nation (parts of which are in three states) does. However, the Hopi Reservation, which is entirely surrounded by the Navajo Nation, doesn’t observe DST. In effect, there is a donut-shaped area of Arizona that does observe DST, but the “hole” in the center does not.
The website had quite a few Daylight Savings tidbits, you should check it out.
Editor’s note: Don’t forget to check your smoke detectors when you change your clocks. Also, smoke detectors only last 10 years or so. If you have had yours for awhile, they aren’t doing their job and need to be replaced.
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