What Would Happen If We Got Rid of Daylight Saving Time?
Updated: Mar. 10, 2023
Here's what it would look like if we all gave up on turning our clocks forward and back each spring and fall
You already know daylight saving time (DST) as the changing of the clocks that robs us of an hour of sleep in the spring, and gifts us with an extra hour each fall. In 2023, we spring forward on Sunday, March 12 and will fall back on Sunday, Nov. 5 (the time will change at 2 a.m.).
You may wonder why we have daylight saving time, but what you may not know is that it was first implemented in Thunder Bay, Canada, in 1908 as a way to preserve daylight hours in the winter months. DST was later adopted by Germany in 1916 during World War I as a way of reducing energy costs, followed by several European countries. The practice of observing DST was introduced in the United States in 1918 as part of the Standard Time Act enacted by Congress. Today, about 70 countries around the world utilize DST. But there are movements underway to change that, both at home and abroad, which may lead to a future with no more daylight savings.
Is daylight saving ending?
As of this writing, daylight saving is not ending. There are two states in the United States that opted out of DST decades ago—but more changes have happened across the United States since.
In March 2022, the Senate unanimously voted in favor of the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would make DST permanent. However, the House of Representatives did not vote on it. Sen. Marco Rubio reintroduced the bill to Congress in early March 2023, so we’ll see if anything comes out of this effort.
These movements aren’t just happening in the United States. In 2018, parliament in the European Union voted to eliminate the bi-annual clock change; however, no negotiations in the EU Council have started yet. So what would it look like if we all just gave up on changing our clocks?
Why do people want to get rid of daylight saving?
We all know that the day we spring forward into daylight saving time is one of the most unpleasant days of the spring season. Losing an hour of sleep overnight—what could be worse? The groggy morning afterward actually sees a spike in accidents and medical emergencies, which is why many are in favor of ending daylight savings so we don’t have to switch the clocks anymore. Here are the most common reasons people want to get rid of daylight saving time.
Better sleep
Whether you’re changing the clock forward or backward, it can have a negative impact on a person’s circadian rhythm. It can take five to seven days for your body to adjust to the new time schedule, reports the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the disruption in sleep can lead to even bigger health issues.
Reduced risk of heart issues
Research has found the spring DST changes are associated with a 24% increase in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) events on the Monday following the change and switching our clocks may increase the risk of heart attacks. While the research hasn’t indicated why this may be, those who experienced an increased risk were mostly people who were already predisposed to experiencing heart issues. Still, if ending the time change could lower the risk, it’s possible that more lives could be saved.
Reduced risk of strokes
Similarly, research has found an increase in hospitalizations for stroke in the two days following the DST change, with the overall rate of ischemic stroke being 8% higher in those days than at any other time of the year. The American Academy of Neurology speculates this may be because of the disruption in circadian rhythms caused by DST, as previous studies have shown that can play a part in increasing a person’s risk of stroke.
Cost savings
“A major con that comes with DST is that it’s very costly for companies, since business hours and operations need to adjust every spring,” says Liz Brown, the founder of Sleeping Lucid. In fact, experts estimate the bi-annual time change costs the United States around $430 million every year. The increase in heart attacks and workplace injuries, plus lowered productivity, are all accounted for in the total cost.
Fewer auto accidents
The changing of the clocks has also been associated with an increase in fatal auto accidents, particularly on the Monday following the spring shift. It’s theorized that these auto accidents occur because of drivers who are tired from losing the hour of sleep after the spring change. If ending DST could reduce the number of fatal accidents taking place, that’s certainly beneficial.
Religious dilemmas
While there is plenty of research to back up the health and cost savings of ending DST, it’s worth noting there are some who would suffer negatively if we stopped changing our clocks. “Religious Jews and Muslims attend daily prayer services at their synagogues and mosques based on sunrise and sunset,” says Rabbi Moshe Davis of Brith Sholom Beth Israel in Charleston, South Carolina. “If DST is removed, it will be almost impossible for these religious people in some parts of the country to attend prayer services in the morning and then get to work on time.”
Changing crime rates
One other consideration to keep in mind with DST is how it impacts crime levels. Research has found that by extending evening daylight hours, as we do in the spring, crime rates actually go down, with robberies being reduced by 7% from the day before, and overall crime going down by 27% in the additional evening hour of sunlight gained on that day. However, another study found that with the hour of daylight lost in the fall, assault rates were up by 3% on the Monday following the time change.
Daylight saving time vs. standard time: Which is better?
One of the many issues surrounding eliminating DST is whether it’s better to stay on DST or standard time. “Different countries, climates, time zones and energy grids often have competing arguments for more daylight in the early morning vs. extended daylight in the evenings,” says Baron Christopher Hanson of Red Baron Consulting, who lobbies for setting the clocks at DST and keeping them there.
“The argument for keeping DST as a permanent U.S. lifestyle fixture is that it greatly benefits health, outdoor activity, tourism, the culinary industry and especially our vast golf, tennis and parks and recreation investments,” he says. “Extended daylight hours allow outdoor restaurants, golf courses, parks and patio or rooftop bars to see sunsets well past happy hour and into dinner time, as opposed to forcing everyone into dismal darkness just before standard 5 p.m. business hours come to a close.”
But it’s not just tourism and the ability to enjoy time outside that Hanson is concerned about. “Early darkness also leads to depression, less outdoor activity and health problems—especially in winter months.”
For Hanson, it all comes down to a simple question: “Why turn God’s beautiful and natural light off early, when every single day of the year can be so easily extended for everyone in America to enjoy?”
While there appears to be a debate for making DST permanent and putting an end to the time changes, most states will still turn their clocks forward and backward for the foreseeable future. If you have any trouble adjusting to the time, these top sleep products on Amazon can help make catching zzz’s and waking up easier.
Sources:
- rubio.senate.gov: “Rubio Reintroduces Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent“
- The Florida Senate: “HB 1013: Daylight Saving Time“
- BMJ Journals, Interventional Cardiology: “Daylight savings time and myocardial infarction“
- American Heart Association: “Can daylight saving time hurt the heart? Prepare now for spring“
- Sleep Medicine: “Changes in ischemic stroke occurrence following daylight saving time transitions“
- American Academy of Neurology: “Does Daylight Saving Time Increase Risk of Stroke?“
- Liz Brown, founder of Sleeping Lucid
- Sleep Medicine: “Fatal Accidents Following Changes in Daylight Savings Time: The American Experience“
- Rabbi Moshe Davis, Brith Sholom Beth Israel
- Journal of Experimental Criminology: “Aggression and sleep: a daylight saving time natural experiment on the effect of mild sleep loss and gain on assaults“
- Baron Christopher Hanson, Red Baron Consulting
