Online Poll: Is It Time To Stop Changing The Clocks?
Sunday, March 12 is the annual time change for Wyoming and most of the United States.
That means people will lose an hour of sleep as most of the country "springs ahead" for daylight saving time. That is the correct term, even though it's often called "daylight savings time" by many.
Not every state changes the clock. Hawaii and Arizona have abandoned the practice, as have several U.S. Territories, including Puerto Rico. But for most of the country, folks will lose an hour that they will get back again in the fall.
The U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2021, but it stalled in the U.S. House. Sen. Marco Rubio [R-Florida] recently introduced the legislation again in an effort to get things moving.
But in recent years the time change has come under increasing fire from people who say it serves no useful purpose in the 21st century. They point to studies that show a 24 percent increase in heart attacks during the week after the springtime change, as well as increases in strokes and fatal accidents.
But supporters of keeping things as they are, say people are used to the time changes and there is no real reason to dump that tradition. They say the time changes allow people to take advantage of the seasonal changes in daylight and say the arguments for doing so are mostly exaggerated.
But what if we do dump the tradition of changing the clocks? Do we go to year-round standard time or daylight saving time? That is a whole other debate, with both sides putting forward arguments in favor of one or the other.
Supporters of year-round standard time say people's sleep patterns never really adjust to daylight saving time. They say standard time better reflects the body's natural circadian rhythm and is less disruptive. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2020 released a statement saying that while dumping the time changes is a good idea, going to permanent standard time is better than daylight saving time year-round.
But supporters of Daylight Saving Time dispute that. They argue that daylight saving time is actually healthier in part because it encourages people to get out and do things in the evening with more daylight. They say the encouragement to get moving outweighs the supposed negatives.
So what do you think? Should we dump the time changes? And if so, what should we replace them with? Take our poll and give us your opinion!