Recently, the Senate passed the “Sunshine Protection Act,” which ensures that daylight savings time cannot be altered and remains permanent. This bill is popular among the people of America, yet scientifically daylight savings time is unhealthy for humans. After all, standard time, which is an hour behind DST, is more in alignment with the rising of the sun. Forcing people to wake up an hour earlier, and an hour darker has a plethora of negative effects. People’s bodies are simply more tired during this darker time during the morning due to the manner in which the body wakes itself up in reaction to sunlight. Studies show that the time shift raises stress levels, shortens sleep, increases depression, and even creates spikes in heart attacks, strokes, and car crash in the week immediately following the shift.
A specific age group that is hurt the most by daylight savings is teenagers, a group that already gets an alarming lack of sleep. Naturally, teenagers have a delay in their biological clock, because their melatonin (sleep hormone) peaks later than all other age groups, meaning they are inclined to go to bed later and also wake up later than everybody else. If we are to enforce a time system where it is darker in the morning, and lighter at night, teenagers will have an even harder time getting adequate sleep, as their body will want to sleep even later (darker in the morning=body does not want to wake up), and stay up even later (melatonin+longer sunlight) yet still be forced to wake up early. Scientifically, sleep deprivation has multiple serious side effects. The surgeon general notes that it can lead to higher levels of depression and anxiety in young people.
Scientifically, sleep deprivation has multiple serious side effects. The surgeon general notes that it can lead to higher levels of depression and anxiety in young people. Some argue that daylight savings will add more sun to the day, yet fail to acknowledge that every winter, we will experience long and dark mornings, where the sun won’t rise until 9 o’clock. Teenagers will wake up in the dark, their bodies unable to comprehend that it is time for school, and will likely suffer slower reaction times and increased levels of sadness and anger due to a lack of sleep. Beyond these effects, REM sleep will be shortened as well, which is an important factor to mental health. As far as DST goes, it only benefits big businesses, who will reap the reward of consumers driving for more hours and spending more time purchasing products, but for the rest of America, it is imperative to keep the time standard and help the masses gain better sleep in order to obtain better health.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/daylight-saving-time-bad-teenagers/627095/
Do you think the U.S. should keep the time standard, convert it permanently to DST, or continue as is? Why?
Do you feel any difference in your sleep or mood throughout the day when America is in DST?
How important would you say sleep is to overall mental health and why? Have you ever had bouts where sleep was negatively affecting your mental health?
2 comments:
According to the evidence you pointed out, it is healthier for most Americans when it comes to waking up, and especially has an impact on the schedules and mental health of young people. Even as someone who wakes up pretty early naturally, it’s always a big disruption to change the time.
It was awful to have it be so dark in the mornings. Even though it is always like that in Winter, the sunrise was finally starting to align with when I woke up (around 5:30-6) and then after DST, getting back to my old schedule was really difficult and it was pitch black in the morning. I usually do my homework in the mornings, so DST impacted me a lot.
Sleep is really important to mental and physical health. I can notice a big difference in my mood and my ability to do work when I get two hours or even an hour less of sleep think standard time should be kept year round. .
I think standard time should be kept year round. According to the evidence you pointed out, it is healthier for most Americans when it comes to waking up, and especially has an impact on the schedules and mental health of young people. Even as someone who wakes up pretty early naturally, it’s always a big disruption to change the time.
It was awful to have it be so dark in the mornings. Even though it is always like that in Winter, the sunrise was finally starting to align with when I woke up (around 5:30-6) and then after DST, getting back to my old schedule was really difficult and it was pitch black in the morning. I usually do my homework in the mornings, so DST impacted me a lot.
Sleep is really important to mental and physical health. I can notice a big difference in my mood and my ability to do work when I get two hours or even an hour less of sleep.
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