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Money Saving Articles

Is Daylight Saving Time Making You Crazy?

Is Saving Time Still Relevant?

Not only is this Sunday the day we spring forward and lose an hour of sleep, it’s the 100th anniversary of Daylight Saving Time. It hasn’t been 100 continuous years though; DST officially became a real thing in 1966. Let’s talk a little bit about DST…

 

What Is the Reason for It?

The original rationale was to have more hours of daylight in the evening, so we would use less electricity. There hasn’t been a significant drop in power usage though, most likely because of other electric usage like air conditioning. At my house the blinds are closed for privacy, so additional sunlight doesn’t help to light up my house. I’d bet this is true for many people in urban and suburban areas.

 

What Are Some of the Negatives?

Lack of sleep is a big one, that hour loss each spring takes a week or more to adjust to. Until your internal clock is reset, you run the risk of increased health and safety problems. For instance, strokes and heart attacks are increased in the first days after the spring time change. Car accidents and on-the-job errors also have an uptick in the same period.

 

Are There Any Positives?

Absolutely! Many businesses benefit from the additional sunlight in the summer such as golf courses, water parks, and outdoor restaurants. People who frequent these types of businesses get more time to enjoy them as well. Here in coastal Texas, I love sitting at a waterside establishment in the evening to enjoy the sea breeze, friends, and live music.

 

My Informal Poll

I casually mentioned on social media the other day that I had never adjusted the clock on my thermostat last fall and that I’m happy it will now be correct. Many of my friends chimed in with comments on DST, and it seems my tiny slice of the world matches what I’ve read in official polls. My morning people friends are unhappy about losing the light when they get up, and my night owl friends are thrilled.

Arizona and Hawaii are the only states who don’t observe DST, but there used to be counties in some states that didn’t. That must have been difficult to keep straight! I lived on the AZ/NV border for a year and keeping track of time was sometimes a challenge.

 

So, Is It Still a Good Idea?

I guess it depends on who you talk to. The evening light is a wonderful thing, and I’d be glad to have it year-round. I’m a night owl though; my morning friends think I’m nuts. I agree with my family in Mexico, the change in time twice a year is “el tiempo loco” and causes more chaos than it is worth. I’m happy that most of my time keeping devices are internet enabled and will self-adjust, but I still have to change a few manually.

 

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