Daylight saving time has grown to become one of the most controversial topics on Earth. It has left many children and adults with mixed emotions. The reason behind all of this is because of the miserable winter season. It is pitch dark at 4:45 at one point during the winter. 

As a student athlete, it is extremely depressing and very unmotivating when you get out of practice after school and it is pitch dark. There is no light in the morning either. In the morning during the winter the sunrise takes place sometime between 6:50-7:15 A.M. So why do we even have daylight saving, you may be asking? We try to preserve and save energy and we attempt to get more use out of our natural daylight. This does not make logical sense because one can propose an argument that since there is less natural light electricity bills will be higher because more man made light will be needed. 

At this point, how necessary is daylight saving time? Couldn’t we just get rid of it?

Here are some of the biggest problems with daylight saving time:

Health Issues

Daylight saving time can put people at greater risk for heart attacks (myocardial infarction) and, possibly, strokes. A 2014 study found that on the Monday after DST begins, 24% more people have heart attacks than on other Mondays throughout the year. Furthermore, DST can cause sleep problems and mood disorders if circadian rhythms are not aligned with natural cycles of light and darkness. Some people also experience insomnia symptoms due to clock changes.

Clock Changes

Changing the clocks multiple times a year can be a bit difficult as well. This applies to most clocks as the majority of clocks need to be changed manually. This is very stressful for families as clocks do not seem to cooperate well.

Sleep loss

Many people have difficulty sleeping  due to stress and early wake ups. When it gets dark earlier our body programs us to begin to get tired and this can lead to people falling asleep at around dinner-time. Or the opposite can happen and people can fall asleep at a very unhealthy late time. This is not good because the next day whether you’re at a job or at school you are not at your full potential due to lack of energy and sleep deprivation. 

On the other hand, if we kept Standard Time throughout the year, you’d really notice the difference in the summer. Our sun would never set after 8 P.M. Instead, summer sunsets would fall in the 7:00 hour. On the flip side though, we will never have to worry about truly late sunrises. So why do certain seasons call for change in the amount of daylight? This is a question that society has failed to answer. 

All in all, why change something that has never been a clear noticeable problem that people complain about?  Why not just have the whole year have the same amount of daylight this will take out stress, pointless work, and resolve conflicts with sleep.