For many of us, changing the clocks in the fall is not the hardship it is in the spring. On a carefully selected autumn weekend, you get one extra hour for carousing or sleeping in. If you forget to move your clocks back and somehow miss it on your phone, everywhere you go you’ll be impressively early. And think about the morning sun once again lighting up the bus stop. Who doesn't love that? Plus, you'll finally hit that early bedtime since what had become your normal now will feel way too late.

Though there are the aforementioned Daylight Savings Time perks, there also are a few rather large downsides. While everyone is different, it generally takes a few days to a few weeks to feel your biorhythm adjust. Until it does, it’s not uncommon to feel more tired, struggle to concentrate, and maybe even be a touch moody—or so I've heard.

In the spring when we lose an hour, statistics show there’s a 6% increase in fatal car crashes. You’d think the opposite would happen in the fall when are well rested from the extra hour—but you’d be wrong. Moving the clock ahead or behind appears to contribute to more accidents. There's an uptick in crashes when the clocks are changed back because of the reduced evening visibility when it's dark sooner. On top of that is the driver drowsiness and fatigue caused by the shift in our circadian rhythms—not to mention that moodiness.

There are even said to be about 24% more heart attacks when we jump ahead an hour and a 21% decrease when we fall back.

But these are just the hurdles for the average person. When you add in something like a farming occupation, now you also have to adjust feeding and milking times for your animals. And when you’re a farmer and a parent with young children? You have to readjust your finely tuned schedule of not only your barn but your entire household routine. Not once but twice. Every year.

Why do we put ourselves through this and who gets to decide?

We put ourselves through this because not everyone wants the same thing. There are some people who are in favor of having our clocks permanently set on Daylight Savings Time—one hour forward. We’ll call those people the "DSTs." The DSTs point to extra evening light in the winter and less wasted light in the early mornings of the summer as being the biggest assets. They say it’s all about being able to do the most with the light we are given throughout the year. None of them wants to waste light hours when they’re sleeping or when the majority are working their day jobs or going to school. DSTs prefer to have more light in the evening once they're home. And they want to keep the clock ahead all year long.

And then there’s the other camp, those who agree to have clocks permanently set, but on Standard Time. This camp is called the Coalition for Permanent Standard Time (CpST), and they believe that remaining on Standard Time is a healthier choice than on Daylight Savings Time.

According to the CpSTs, Standard Time is closely aligned with the position of the sun, which is the most powerful external cue for our circadian rhythm. This rhythm regulates our bodies. The group says that by offering more sunlight in the morning, Standard Time helps us wake up and feel more alert. As the evenings gradually become dark earlier, our bodies are signaled to wind down.
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The CpSTs argue that having a permanent Daylight Savings Time setting would increase the length of darkness at school bus stops, especially in the winter. In addition, the circadian rhythm disruption from having to move our clocks ahead is associated with an increased risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

CpSTs reasonings align with Hawaii’s view on the topic. Hawaii and Arizona are the only two states that have said no to moving their clocks. Hawaii's reason? Keeping the clocks on Standard Time is a “reflection of an island lifestyle that moves with the natural ebb and flow of the sun rather than the man-made constructs of time.” Sounds like the CpST people. And Arizona’s reason? The heat. With the summer sun going down at 8 pm instead of 9 pm, residents get one more hour of reprieve.

Currently, it's the Department of Transportation that oversees the observance of Daylight Savings Time. President Trump had intended to “lock the clock,” but he discovered that it’s a 50/50 issue—half the people want permanent Daylight Savings Time and half want permanent Standard Time.
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When you can’t find a solution, ask a mom

My mom is someone who has lived through much of the history of the Daylight Savings experiment. As a child, she experienced when the clocks stayed ahead for a whole year during World War II and then returned to “Standard only” in 1945. The clocks stayed on Standard Time until the 1966 Uniform Time Act was passed, which required the change of clocks to Daylight Savings Time in the spring and back to Standard Time in the fall.

In 1974, Congress tried again to keep Daylight Savings Time permanent but the effort only lasted a few months before switching back to the spring and fall time changes. Since then, though the various versions of the Sunshine Protection Act have been put forth—which would once again make Daylight Savings Time permanent—none of the versions has passed.

Having seen all those changes and knowing the arguments of both the DSTs and the CpSTs, I asked my mom how the issue could ever be resolved.

Her suggestion? Compromise. Have each side give up 30 minutes and meet in the middle. And make it permanent.

I happen to think that just might work.

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