Spring is an exciting time of year. There are blooming flowers, gorgeous weather, and summer is quickly approaching. However, there is one thing that people tend to dread: spring forward.
This phenomenon requires people in participating countries to set their clocks forward on the second Sunday of March, causing the loss of one hour of sleep in exchange for darker mornings and brighter evenings. Then, during the first Sunday of November, people roll their clocks back an hour to fall back which creates the darker evenings. Why was daylight saving time created? Are there many conversations happening about getting rid of the time changes? What can you do to avoid the effects of spring forward?
History
There is some debate about who invented daylight saving time. Benjamin Franklin, George Hudson, and William Willet have all been speculated as the creator. However, no action was taken until Germany implemented the first daylight saving time in 1916 to maximize resources during World War I. Currently there are 71 countries who participate in the phenomenon. Although it is observed around the world, the main participants are in North America, Europe, New Zealand, and portions of the Middle East. The idea behind the time shift is to maximize sunlight throughout the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Since the Earth’s axis is tilted, places near the equator tend to get twelve hours of daylight, while others get varying degrees of sunlight. In the Northern Hemisphere, the brightest days are during months like June and July because they are closer to the sun. The Southern Hemisphere benefits six months later because they become basked in sunlight when it becomes summer in their half of the world.
An article by the U.K. National Geographic also stated, “roughly 80 percent of some 4.6 million respondents were against daylight saving time.” This shows that while daylight saving time is unpopular, often due to health concerns, not much has been done to change it.
Laws
The effectiveness of daylight saving time has been argued for years. The main reason for concern is the increase in health risks that come with setting the clocks at different times throughout the year.
According to The Hill, “studies have linked changing times with an uptick in fatal car crashes, emergency room visits, missed appointments, heart attacks and strokes.”
While there are many opponents of daylight saving, states cannot switch to a permanent daylight saving time, where there are later sunrises and sunsets, until the federal law changes. Currently, the United States Senate passed a bill called the Sunshine Protection Act to end daylight saving time, and they are waiting on the House of Representatives to vote on the matter. A similar bill has been introduced in the House with over 34 co-sponsors from various states. Arizona and Hawaii are the only states that currently do not participate in daylight saving time. Numerous states have passed bills that will go into effect if the federal law changes, but for now, we’re stuck with daylight savings.
Tips to Deal With Spring Forward and Fall Back
- Adjust your sleep schedule before the time change occurs
As much as it sucks to wake up earlier, shifting your schedule an hour earlier for spring forward can help. You can try doing this in 15 minute increments for a couple days before the time changes. It can take time for your circadian rhythm to adjust with daylight saving time, so slowly implementing the change can make you feel less tired and grumpy. You can do the reverse for fall back in November!
- Try things that will help you sleep easier
This will vary based on your personal preferences. Some things I know that have helped people sleep easier are weighted blankets, white noise, meditation apps, black out curtains, limiting the amount of screentime, journaling, and keeping your room cooler. Personally, I try to avoid my phone and laptop before I go to bed. This is because blue wavelengths that come from digital devices can boost mood and attention, things you’re trying to avoid when going to bed. I also like white noise because it can get loud in the dorms, so it helps me block out what is going on outside my room.
- Exercise and/or go outside
I’m not a morning person at all, but I will admit that this usually helps me wake up earlier for class and there’s scientific reasoning for this. Moving the hour from morning to evening disrupts the circadian rhythm, your body’s internal clock, but exercising helps reset your circadian rhythm which helps your sleep regulate.
According to an article by the New York Times, “A 2019 study showed that exercising either at 7 a.m. or between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. advances the body clock, which makes it easier for you to start your day earlier. Inversely, working out between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. delays the body clock, which can make it harder for you to fall asleep and wake up early the next day.”
Daylight saving time is a unique phenomenon that many countries participate in. The biannual events where we change the clocks are called fall back and spring forward. It can be an annoyance to lose one hour of sleep in March, but my tips may be able to help you adjust to the time change. Plus, that extra hour of sunlight will make spring forward worth the hassle!