Daylight Savings Time
I come to announce my opposition to Daylight Savings Time in the strongest possible terms.
I see no valid reason to let it continue. It is fundamentally disruptive of every aspect of life, with only antiquated agrarian benefits to show for it. We no longer need it. It’s completely unnecessary. It’s intrusive, maddening, and worse than worthless.
It is time for it to die.
There’s more to it than just the mere inconvenience of having to reset every clock and rearrange the schedule. Biologically, it wreaks havoc on a family of young children. Infants that used to go to bed at 8:00 now find themselves being put to bed at 7:00, and they don’t understand it. Their bodies refuse to participate. It takes weeks to acclimate young children to the new schedule. Those are weeks where babies wake up an hour earlier or later than their supposed to, and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Why? Why is this allowed to continue?
I know that in an agricultural society, extra daylight is a valuable thing. But that society is several generations removed from where we are now. For decades, technology has allowed farmers to normalize their work times regardless of the length of the days. Why do we allow this relic to disrupt our daily lives?
Mrs. Cornell stumbled on research that suggests that heart attacks increase by 6% the day after Daylight Savings Time.
This didn’t affect me as much as it usually does, however, because I stayed home from church with my sick son, who napped while I did. A nap is the closes thing to heaven on earth. I’m not sure if this would work if I tried it every week, but I feel much more in tune with the divine after one long afternoon nap than I usually do after a day of church.
In saying this, though, I know I am out of step with the Psalmist, who wrote “Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty.” He’s got me pegged. I’m quite the sleep lover. And I’d probably be a lot wealthier if I snoozed less. But that being the case, is it so wrong to protect what little sleep I have? There are so many, many sources of stress in our lives. Why do we arbitrarily create more of it?
If anyone has a persuasive argument that this archaic practice ought to continue, I’m willing to hear it. Otherwise, I could be easily persuaded to take another nap.
I see no valid reason to let it continue. It is fundamentally disruptive of every aspect of life, with only antiquated agrarian benefits to show for it. We no longer need it. It’s completely unnecessary. It’s intrusive, maddening, and worse than worthless.
It is time for it to die.
There’s more to it than just the mere inconvenience of having to reset every clock and rearrange the schedule. Biologically, it wreaks havoc on a family of young children. Infants that used to go to bed at 8:00 now find themselves being put to bed at 7:00, and they don’t understand it. Their bodies refuse to participate. It takes weeks to acclimate young children to the new schedule. Those are weeks where babies wake up an hour earlier or later than their supposed to, and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Why? Why is this allowed to continue?
I know that in an agricultural society, extra daylight is a valuable thing. But that society is several generations removed from where we are now. For decades, technology has allowed farmers to normalize their work times regardless of the length of the days. Why do we allow this relic to disrupt our daily lives?
Mrs. Cornell stumbled on research that suggests that heart attacks increase by 6% the day after Daylight Savings Time.
This didn’t affect me as much as it usually does, however, because I stayed home from church with my sick son, who napped while I did. A nap is the closes thing to heaven on earth. I’m not sure if this would work if I tried it every week, but I feel much more in tune with the divine after one long afternoon nap than I usually do after a day of church.
In saying this, though, I know I am out of step with the Psalmist, who wrote “Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty.” He’s got me pegged. I’m quite the sleep lover. And I’d probably be a lot wealthier if I snoozed less. But that being the case, is it so wrong to protect what little sleep I have? There are so many, many sources of stress in our lives. Why do we arbitrarily create more of it?
If anyone has a persuasive argument that this archaic practice ought to continue, I’m willing to hear it. Otherwise, I could be easily persuaded to take another nap.
posted by Elder Samuel Bennett | 11:03 AM
8 Comments:
First of all, it's "Daylight Saving" no "Savings." Drop the plural. Pet peeve.
Second of all, AZ is smart and dropped it a long time ago. Hee hee. So move here.
Third of all, it's now an environmental thing. Less people turning on lights at night, saves energy, etc.
Fourth of all, I'm a sleep lover too.
Fifth of all, WHY don't we have a copy of your book?
I'm with you. It serves no purpose. But it seems to be here to stay, as it was extended by three weeks just two years ago. It used to be easy -- first weekend April, last weekend October. Not any more. And, Wiz, I know that the claim was it would save energy, but I read (sorry I can't cite the source offhand) that it actually uses more energy. I applaud Arizona for not using it and wish the rest of the country would do the same.
This is the best post you've ever written.
I don't care so much about DST vs Standard Time. It's the switch between the two. If DST is better, why go back to standard? Just pick one and run with it, says I.
Daylight Savings Time doesn't seem to save any energy. In many ways, it might encourage more energy use, as people have another hour to start up the car and go out.
That's sort one of the reasons I like it. I get more time after work to garden, fish or run errands.
Still, having a two-year-old, I see the point Stallion is making. It's a pain getting our son into and out of bed.
100% agree with you..especially now that I have a 5 month old who I thought I was just getting on a regular schedule..just toss my sanity out the window..
Just get rid of standard time and keep us on DST the whole time...
...and then make Arizona conform to the rest of the Mountain Time Zone.
1. By saving daylight, we are able to store solar energy for the clean efficient burning of clean energy.
2. After having saved the daylight, whatever is not used for solar power can be reutilized once the clock has been turned back, a kind of "daylight savings bank".
So, in essence, you're not only getting a net increase in the total amount of solar energy available for clean energy burning of clean energy, but you are in addition getting back exactly the same amount of sleep that you put in.
I'd call that a bargain, farmers or no!!
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