By: Janna Hopper/Staff Writer

Photo Caption: Daylight Saving Time has become a debated topic in the past years. But until something changes, make sure that all your clocks are set to the same time when this day rolls around. Photo by: Janna Hopper

When we “spring forward” with Daylight Saving Time each year, that night is full of groans and complaints; that Monday is exhausting and tedious. And when “fall back” comes around we celebrate our regained hour of sleep. But what is Daylight Saving Time for? Are the health effects worth it?

The story we are used to relating to Daylight Saving Time is that it was meant to give extra daylight time to farmers. However, this explanation makes very little sense. Scott Jacobs, the GCHS Agricultural Science and Business Teacher, remarks “Most of the farmers I know don’t care one way or the other about daylight savings time. They realize there will be a certain amount of daylight hours to complete their work. If they have to get up earlier or work later, they will just work until the job is completed.” Changing the hours on a clock would not affect their schedule in the slightest.

So why do we bother with this strange tradition? Is it more of a matter of keeping time zones consistent for better trade and communication? Yet not every state in the U.S. participates. Should we be trying to break out of this habit or is it not worth the trouble?

A healthy sleep schedule is a fragile thing, with benefits we often take for granted. Becky Robertson, the GCHS health assistant, says that there are many benefits that come with consistent sleep. She talks about how having a regular sleep schedule improves your mood, helps keep your blood pressure and sugar healthy, and also helps your heart. She mentions that “The single most effective way to start and stick to a bedtime routine is to make a commitment to yourself and your health.” Effective sleep schedules work best when you don’t use screens in the hour before bed and when you stay consistent with the times you are going to bed and getting up. Daylight saving time forces us to disregard the latter.

Daylight saving time throws off our sleep schedules all at once. This has affects far greater than just making you more tired. While Robertson admits to not being an expert on sleep, she  talks about the negative effects this schedule change can have on us. The first and most noticeable impact is that it throws off our internal clock. “When we aren’t sleeping well, it affects our whole bodies.  Most of us get grumpy, we don’t eat as well, we don’t exercise as much, and can even experience increased anxiety and/or depression” she says. She even mentions how research has found that this sudden change increases the risk for heart attack.

So indeed, this turns out to be quite the serious issue with the broad impact it has on our health and wellbeing. While Jen True from the GCHS attendance office hasn’t noticed a particular increase in tardies in the days following the time change, it is possible that we have managed to turn this into an unhealthy habit; automatically changing our clocks and just trying to work through the side effects. In the opinions of Robertson and many others, we should stop practicing Daylight Saving Time. It is no longer properly serving its original purpose and it is negatively impacting the health of those who practice it.

So as fall blows into full swing, don’t forget that tricky matter of Daylight Saving Time creeping our way once again. Perhaps it’s finally time to get rid of this outdated and unhealthy practice. Just make sure that all of us in the state agree on it; the excuse “I’m not practicing Daylight Saving Time” might not go over so well if you start showing up an hour late.