Ready For the Annual DST Switch? We Go Through It Twice a Year, but Nobody Understands Why

It’s here again, ready or not

The annual tradition of setting our clocks back one hour is here again. So we are back on the DST carousel. The lazy, hazy days and longer nights of summer sunshine are a dim memory as we traverse the bridge between Summer and Winter that fall is. We are going back to Standard Time.

Under Standard Time, days gradually shorten in the fall. The trick of turning back time is a fascinating concept, but is it effective? It will be lighter in the morning but will get darker sooner at night.

There is mounting opposition to this dual (or is it duel?) rite of autumn and spring, with dozens of states proposing eliminating this “fall back” and “spring forward” tradition because it is so confusing to most people.

However, it is a federal policy so it would have to be voted on by both the Senate and the House. States cannot simply enact it on their own. Federal law prohibits states from this, and with our present lack of cooperation in Congress, it is not very high on the agenda for 2023.

Fearless, peerless Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) was once roused from his routine Congressional slumber and proposed the “Sunshine Protection Act” to permanently establish DST nationwide as far back as 2018.

Because as we all know, the one thing Florida needs is more sunshine.

But the Senator’s legislative acumen is as weak as his general record, and there is little chance the bill will be passed this year. If it was, we would have less light in the morning, especially from November to March.

But there is no support in Congress for his extreme, radical proposal. Rubio appears content to continue his impressive record of congressional ineptness once again this year.

Some people love this holiday ritual. After all, you get an extra hour of sleep instantly on Saturday night at 2 a.m. Suddenly, like magic, it’s only 1 a.m. and we have more sack time! What’s not to like?

There will be more light during winter mornings, but less in the evening. This is okay with the early birds in our midst.

But many people feel trapped inside their office buildings once they get to work and feel like they never see the sun at all during the winter because it is dark before they get to leave for home.

Some people get depressed and moody because there is less daylight. People with S.A.D syndrome (Seasonal Affective Disorder) are more prone to react negatively to turning the clock back an hour to Standard Time, and then reversing the process in the spring.

Many people find this to be very confusing, (including me) but what do we know?

If that wasn’t bad enough, the real villain in this comedy of trying to control nature and its natural rhythms is in March when we once again “Spring Forward” for one hour.

This loss of an actual hour of sleep in the Spring has caused major problems in upsetting people’s natural circadian rhythms, which are our internal clocks. It is very jarring and can be similar to jet lag.

This causes people to feel drowsy and moody from the loss of an hour of sleep and is very unpopular. Is it worth it to switch back and forth?

When we disrupt our natural circadian rhythm many people feel a lessening of motor functions, response times, and our general level of alertness. It can also cause more anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

It can be very dangerous and can cause accidents or even a weakened immune system and a higher risk of heart problems.

I think we should just pick either Standard Time and deal with the shorter hours of daylight or stick to Daylight Savings Time and enjoy longer daylight in the evenings.

No matter which system we eventually choose, if we ever do, we will eventually get used to it. Why not just stay on Standard Time and eliminate the trauma of losing an hour of sleep in the spring?

What do you think?

It’s not nice to mess with Mother Nature. Go with it. We are all connected…