In the United States, Daylight Saving Time, or DST, is the habit of advancing clocks by one hour during late winter or early spring so that the sun sets at a later time. This practice is often known as “gaining an hour.” In mid-fall, clocks are reverted back to Standard Time, and we “lose an hour” so that the sun sets earlier during the winter. As a result of this, on DST day, the day lasts 23 hours instead of the typical 24, and when returning to Standard Time, the day lasts 25 hours.
Scientifically speaking, the world does not rotate on a perfectly straight axis, the Earth rotates on a slight tilt. As a result, the sun is not equidistant from both halves of the equator, and the standardized time zones established around the world are not perfectly equal. When looking at a globe, the world is divided into twenty-four regions corresponding to the vertical lines (or medians) on most maps or globes. Each line separates a difference in one hour. For example, the East Coast of the United States makes up part of the Eastern time zone. When traveling west, the time decreases by exactly one hour. When moving from New York to Colorado, you would decrease by two hours as you pass through two different time zones. Although this system seems relatively simple to wrap your head around, it gets much more complicated when factoring in Daylight Saving.
Not all countries observe DST. As a result, time zones are not as perfect and accurate as they should be. About 70 countries worldwide participate in Daylight Saving, leaving a significant number of countries out. Countries like China, India, Egypt, Argentina, Russia, Japan, and Brazil have all abolished DST. This system continues to be implemented throughout the United States with the intention of keeping school children waiting for buses early in the morning safe from cars and any accidents. Rolling back the clock allows the sun to rise “earlier” and keep children out of the dark hours of the morning. In addition to just children, DST is supposed to help make everyone feel safer, whether they are walking their dog, going for a run, or waiting for a school bus. In this case, the negatives outweigh the positives.
Sophomore Francesca Mihanovich used to live in Singapore, where Daylight Saving Time is not observed.
She says, “My sleep schedule was always constant, and I never had to think about what time the sun was setting. It was nice always having a consistent sundown.”
After moving to the United States and experiencing DST, she came to the conclusion that she felt extremely fatigued. Her observations are fully supported by modern science. Research has shown that not only on the days the clocks change but also the weeks prior to and after the time change are usually hazy and stressful times for all people. Scientists have concluded that the best way to prevent and deal with irregular sleep schedules is to plan and modify sleep schedules ahead of the day that the clocks are supposed to either advance or fall back.
March 10, 2024 is less than three months away and is the date that clocks will spring ahead to prepare for the summer months. If you are someone who is often affected by DST, it’s always good to prepare ahead of time for the upcoming time change.
