Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

Count me among the 62% of Americans (according to a Monmouth poll) that wish we would do away with the biannual time shifts.

It is generally accepted that the abrupt shifts in time going back and forth from DST can disrupt sleep patterns and circadian rhythms, leading to a myriad of health issues, including increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems. By eliminating these transitions, we can ensure more stable sleep patterns, promoting better overall health and well-being for the population.

For my part, I want to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.

I don’t care if it is dark in the morning when I drive to work. Daylight when I am indoors is wasted. I want to maximize the daylight time I have after I finish work, when I have the opportunity to be outside.

With DST, my opportunities to get outside on the golf course from November to March is severely curtailed. That makes me sad.

In all seriousness, Season Affective Disorder is real, and likely a result of the shorter days and less daylight. We can’t do anything about the shorter days, but we can provide more opportunities for people to be exposed to what daylight is available for their mental health.

Studies show that time spent outside in sunlight provides cognitive benefits, reduces stress and improves mood. Sunlight can decrease depression:

people living in areas with longer and higher sunlight exposure levels exhibit fewer depressive symptoms. Additionally, seasonal increases in sunlight duration are associated with decreases in mental health distress.

National Library of Medicine (link)

The National Conference of State Legislatures says that state legislatures in recent years have considered some 550 bills to establish daylight saving time.

In the last five years, 19 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to provide for year-round daylight saving time, if Congress were to allow such a change, and in some cases, if surrounding states enact the same legislation. Because federal law does not currently allow full-time DST, Congress would have to act before states could adopt changes.

The 19 states are Colorado and Kentucky (resolution) (2022), Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi and Montana (2021). Idaho, Louisiana, Ohio (resolution), South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming (2020). Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington (2019). Florida (2018; California voters also authorized such a change that year, but legislative action is pending so it is not counted). Some states have commissioned studies on the topic including Massachusetts (2017) and Maine (2021).

National Conference of State Legislatures (link)

The original DST legislation was passed in 1918, as part of the US effort in World War I. It was abolished after the war, becoming a local option. Nationwide DST was revived in 1942 — again as part of the war effort.

After WWII, DST was observed in random fashion, with different states — and localities — having different times.

In 1966, DST became a nationwide standard under the Uniform Time Act of 1966. As originally written, DST ran from the last Sunday in April until the last Sunday in October. In 2007, it was extended from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November.

It is the 1966 Uniform Time Act that requires Congressional approval for making DST permanent.

Given the current dysfunction of Congress, it is unlikely that any change will be made any time soon.