Daylight Savings Time Is the Worst Day of the Year

I typically enjoy our 365 days of the year. I like to maintain a positive attitude about most things, but I find some days incredibly obnoxious.

So while I'm generally civic-minded, I'm not too fond of Tax Day on April 15, and then there is Daylight Savings Time (DST).

My disdain for Tax Day speaks for itself because the IRS tax code is nonsensical and frustrating. But what's up with Daylight Savings Time?

From a personal perspective, Daylight Savings Time throws sleep patterns off. This is especially true when we "Spring Ahead" and adjust the clocks again. It causes sleep issues if Circadian Rhythms are unaligned with the natural light and darkness cycles. The loss of an hour in the Spring can cause insomnia in some people.

Typically, I rise at 4 am to get to the WJOD studio on time for the Good Morning Rodeo. But the Spring Daylight Savings time change makes that a 3 am wake-up. Woe is me!

On the first Sunday in November each year, most Americans turn their clocks back 1 hour to observe DST. I say most because Arizona and Hawaii forgo the occasion. But, having lived in both states, I can assure you that the world keeps spinning without falling back or springing forward.

If you feel as I do, rest assured we are not alone. Twenty-nine states introduced legislation between 2015 and 2019 to abolish the twice-yearly switching of clocks.

This past March, the United States Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act to make Daylight Savings Time permanent. But the U.S. House still needs to act on the measure. So think about that as you step into the voting booth on Tuesday!

There have been previous attempts to abolish Daylight Savings Time, but like most things in life, change takes work and time.

During World War II, the country had a permanent Daylight Savings Time to conserve fuel for the war effort. In 1973, Congress voted, and President Nixon signed the bill putting the U.S. on permanent DST for two years as a test.

Unfortunately, some people complained, and the media overplayed the public outcry about going to work without the sun. Imagine that! In addition, there were also concerns that children would be in danger walking to school in the dark.

President Gerald Ford signed the bill, ending the experiment. So, DST returned on February 23, 1975. And when it did, the media coverage was far less dramatic, with reminders to fall back or spring ahead. 

So we are forced to play along once more until the politicians in Washington or the states can get it right. 

To make a long story short, remember to set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed on Saturday night. Or do as I do and wait until Sunday at 10 am to move the clock back to 9 am. That way, It feels like I'm genuinely gaining an hour.