Tag: daylight savings time

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DO AWAY WITH DST DOLDRUMS

How did things go for you last week? For me, it was like one of those long, lost weekends that went on for days.  Woke up Sunday morning in a fog.  Had breakfast when I wasn’t hungry.  By lunch time, I could barely stay awake. Tried to nap, but couldn’t. The rest of the day was a blur.  Finally woke up for the evening news, but lay awake until midnight.  By Wednesday I couldn’t remember what day it was.  Changing the clocks twice a year is national madness.  Please, please make daylight savings time permanent, or abolish it altogether. Do away with Daylight Savings Time doldrums.

Do away with DST Doldrums
DO AWAY WITH DST DOLDRUMS. Changing the clock causes brain fog leading to fatal traffic accidents.

According to the John Hopkins School of Health:

MAKING THE SHIFT CAN INCREASE YOUR HEALTH RISKS.

“The scientific evidence points to acute increases in adverse health consequences from changing the clocks, including in heart attack and stroke,” says sleep expert Adam Spira, PhD, MA, a professor in Mental Health.

The change is also associated with a heightened risk of mood disturbances and hospital admissions, as well as elevated production of inflammatory markers in response to stress. The potential for car crashes also spikes just after the spring forward, Spira says; a 2020 study found that the switch raises the risk of fatal traffic accidents by 6%.”

Some people like DST and others don’t.  55% of people would like to see it done away with.  As a retiree,  I can sleep as late as I like.  Right now, I’m getting out of bed an hour later than usual. But actually, I’m not.  When I arise at 9:30 o’clock, my body thinks its really 8:30 and feels like it’s doing what it always does.   However, my husband thinks we should  adjust by gradually getting up earlier,  so that we’re in sync with the rest of the world. I guess he has a point.

There are lots of reasons not to change the clocks in the spring and fall.  But as far as I’m concerned, an increase in fatal traffic accidents is a compelling indication that it’s just plain wrong.  If you’ve ever lost a loved one to such a tragedy, I’m sure you would agree.

Who decides what’s best for everyone in the United States?  I think that they (whoever they are) should take a vote and let the majority decide. Do away with Daylight Savings Time doldrums.  Make it permanent or abolish it altogether.  No more long, lost weekends.

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DEADLY DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME

Last night, we turned back the clocks, and everything is back to normal.  Don’t you wish we could get rid of daylight savings time?  People wouldn’t have to spend the late spring and early fall driving to work or school in the dark.  It’s time to abolish deadly daylight savings time once and for all.

Daylight savings time can be hazardous to your health
Children shouldn’t have to walk to school or wait for the bus in the dark.

Yanking little children out of bed  for school when it’s pitch black outside is borderline  child abuse.  It’s not natural at all.  In fact, some school districts have decided to reschedule class times to start at 9 a.m. Recently, in Indiana, three children in the same family were killed as they ran for the school bus.  It was so dark that the oncoming driver didn’t realize she was passing a school bus.  Unfortunately, she was convicted of murder  and now sits in prison.  All of which could have been avoided if it hadn’t been for daylight savings time .

Yes, it will get dark earlier in the afternoon, now. But by that time, we’ve been awake for hours and can easily handle the darkness.  A groggy person stumbling out of bed isn’t in shape to drive or walk to school or work when they can’t see where they’re going.

Worse yet, changing the time disrupts our body clocks, and can have more serious consequences.  The first week after we change the clocks in the spring results in more car accidents, workplace injuries,  and suicides.

According to a study at the University of Colorado, the risk of heart attack increases by 25% when we lose an hour of sleep.   Another study by the American Academy of Neurology suggested that turning the clock behind or ahead an hour increases the risk of stroke.

Who likes daylight savings time the most?  Small  business owners and retailers.    The Chamber of Commerce has been the biggest supporter of daylight savings time in the USA.  The Chamber realizes that if you give people more sunlight at the end of the day, they’ll stop and shop on their way home.  Golfers also love daylight savings time—but how many people play golf?

The truth is, the public is being hoodwinked by those who want to make more money and play more golf.  It’s time to do away with deadly daylight savings time.