Research suggests the switch is a mistake
On Monday last week, Gilmer residents woke up sleepier because of the Daylight Savings switch.
The clock sprang forward an hour, adjusting the way we measure time so we get extra sunlight after work.
Although switching on Daylight Savings time is a long-established tradition, science suggests it’s dangerous for our health.
According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 55 percent of Americans experience tiredness as a result of the Daylight Savings switch.
But the problems go far deeper than that. Changing your sleep schedule can have a major effect on your body.
Scientific evidence shows heart attacks, stroke, mood disturbances, hospital admissions and increased stress all result from the clock adjustment.
Even car accidents go up by 6 percent, according to one study.
These risks are connected to our body’s natural rhythms. By nature, our bodies want to wake up and go to sleep in response to light and darkness. But by changing our schedules around, we confuse this natural system.
The negative effects of Daylight Savings are especially strong for areas on the edge of time zones.
Originally, Daylight Savings was a way to use less energy by depending on the sun for light. But in a modern world of cheap electric power, it’s debatable whether these risks are worth the payout.
But for people hoping for relief from this system, it may be a long way off. While Congress has repeatedly attempted to end the yearly switch, attempts have continued to stall.
Perhaps if they got more sleep, they’d make better decisions.