SouthernWorldwide.com – The debate surrounding the cessation of biannual clock changes is gaining traction, with the Trump administration reportedly reconsidering the practice. A significant legislative step was taken on May 21st when the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced a bill to make Daylight Saving Time (DST), often referred to as the “summer clock,” permanent. This move, passing with a 48-1 vote, is part of a broader, bipartisan effort aimed at eliminating the twice-yearly shifts in time.
While the prospect of extended daylight in the winter evenings might seem appealing, health experts are raising concerns. They warn that making DST permanent could have detrimental effects on people’s natural circadian rhythms, which govern the body’s sleep-wake cycle.
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“Most sleep scientists and the public would likely welcome an end to the biannual clock change,” stated a sleep expert. “The disruption caused by ‘springing forward’ in March is demonstrably linked to tangible harm, including increases in car accidents, heart attacks, and sleep deprivation.”
However, the expert emphasized that the scientific community does not support the implementation of permanent DST. Instead, the evidence strongly favors the adoption of permanent standard time, or the “winter clock.”
Leading sleep medicine organizations, such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have previously voiced their support for permanent standard time over permanent DST.
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“Standard time aligns more closely with human circadian biology,” the expert explained. “This means the natural relationship between light, darkness, and our internal biological clocks remains undisturbed.”
“Permanent DST simply shifts an hour of morning sunlight to the evening, and this trade comes with significant health and safety costs.”
The United States did experiment with permanent DST in the early 1970s. However, the initiative was ultimately abandoned, partly due to the negative consequences observed in the mornings, according to the sleep expert.
Our internal biological clocks, known as circadian rhythms, are primarily regulated by morning light, the expert noted. Under a permanent DST system, many individuals would find themselves waking up before sunrise to go to work or school. This creates a “chronic misalignment between the body’s internal clock and the external world.”
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“You cannot simply override this fundamental biology by adjusting external clocks,” the expert asserted. “The result is a population that is, in essence, waking up in the middle of their biological night, every single day.”
Public opinion has often favored having more daylight during winter evenings. This is partly because extended evening light can potentially alleviate mental health conditions such as seasonal depression.
Advocates for permanent DST argue that later evening daylight could encourage more outdoor activities, recreation, and consumer spending after work or school hours.
While acknowledging that light is a “powerful regulator” of sleep and mood, the expert pointed out that not all light exposure offers the same benefits. “Morning light is crucial for regulating sleep, alertness, and supporting mental health. This would be sacrificed with permanent daylight saving time,” they stated.
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In certain regions, like Utah, residents might not experience sunrise until around 9 a.m. during the winter months. Some research has indicated a correlation between such conditions and higher rates of depression and seasonal mood challenges.
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“While more evening light might feel pleasant, partly because we associate it with enjoyable summer evenings, permanent DST does not equate to permanent summer,” the expert stressed. “It simply means we will have less morning sunlight and more evening sunlight.”
“Exposure to light in the evening further delays our circadian rhythms, making it more difficult to fall asleep and harder to wake up in the morning.”
Permanent DST could exacerbate people’s tendency towards “bedtime procrastination,” deepen existing sleep deprivation, and contribute to the already widespread public health issue of insufficient sleep, as identified by the Institute of Medicine, according to the expert.
Numerous studies have indicated that individuals generally sleep less during the summer compared to the winter. This is particularly concerning in a society where one in three people already struggle with insufficient sleep.
“This is especially alarming for teenagers, a demographic that the U.S. Surgeon General has identified as being in a mental health crisis,” the expert cautioned.
For instance, a teenager waking up at 6:30 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. school start under permanent DST would biologically be waking up at 5:30 a.m., which is “in the middle of their biological night,” the expert elaborated.
“Framing permanent DST as a solution for seasonal depression fundamentally misunderstands the science,” they concluded.
