Daylight Savings is Destabilizing
I can recall the days of my youth, struggling with never being able to get good restful sleep. This may be linked to a brain injury I had when I was young, it could be from having an overwhelming amount of anxiety being raised in a chaotic home, it could also be because for grades 2, 3, 4, and 5 I was homeschooled and had 0% structure and was chronically sleeping in until 2pm in the afternoon.
But I don’t think it helped my cause that some parts of the world (especially most all the places I have lived in) are forced to set their clocks forward by an hour in the spring, only to turn them back again six months later in the fall. Why?? Why do we still do this??
I truly believe that daylight saving time (DST) has been a consistent and destabilizing force in my life. I didn’t fully grasp how much it was affecting me until I lived in a place where it doesn’t exist. For the first time, I slept well, consistently. My nervous system, which is already challenged with a nervous system disorder, finally had the chance to regulate and follow the natural rhythm of the sun.
The realization of how destabilizing DST finally hit me when I returned to my hometown a few weeks before the clocks were set to spring forward. Suddenly, the mornings were darker, and I had to wake up earlier, thrown out of my natural rhythm. That’s when it became obvious to me that my nervous system thrived when time stayed steady, without the abrupt shifts forward or backward.
A Brief History of Daylight Saving Time
Daylight saving time originated in the late 19th century. It was first proposed by New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson in 1895, who wanted more daylight hours after work to collect insects. Around the same time, British builder William Willett championed the idea in the UK. But it wasn’t until World War I that the concept gained traction.
Germany was the first to implement DST in 1916 as a wartime measure to conserve energy. Other countries, including the U.S., quickly followed. The rationale was to make better use of daylight during the evenings, reducing the need for artificial lighting and thereby saving fuel. Interestingly, DST was adopted and repealed several times in the U.S. before becoming standardized with the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
Over the years, its implementation has been more about tradition and economic interests (like retail and golf industries) than scientific merit. Despite energy savings being a core justification, modern research has largely debunked this as a significant benefit.
https://www.history.com/articles/why-do-we-have-daylight-saving-time?
https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-daylight-saving?
Studies of DST effects on the Body
Numerous studies have shown that DST disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythm. This internal clock governs sleep, metabolism, and hormone regulation. When clocks spring forward, we lose an hour of morning light and an hour of sleep. This misalignment throws off melatonin production and can take days or even weeks to normalize. Since I have a nervous system disorder, I believe for myself that this shift is destabilizing.
There is Health data that seems to back this up. According to the American Heart Association, heart attacks spike by 24% on the Monday after DST begins in spring. Stroke rates increase, and studies have shown a 6% rise in fatal car accidents in the week following the time change.
But it seems in some respects, I am not alone in my time shift sensitivities. Behaviorally, people report eating more processed food and exercising less in the weeks following the time shift. Sleep fragmentation increases, and productivity drops. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the World Sleep Society have all formally advocated for the abolition of DST in favor of permanent standard time.
The dark side of daylight saving time – Harvard Health
Is Daylight Saving Time a Hidden Danger? Here’s What the Science Says
Daylight saving time: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement – PMC
Studies on Whether DST Saves Energy
There are quite a few studies that suggest daylight saving time either has minimal energy savings or may even increase energy consumption under certain conditions. Here is a list of what I could find.
- Kotchen & Grant (Yale / NBER) — Indiana Residential Electricity Demand
This study examined what happened in Indiana when some counties adopted DST and others didn’t (before full adoption in 2006). They found that the supposed energy savings were mixed, and in many cases, there was little to no reduction in residential electricity demand. - “Permanent standard time is the optimal choice for health and …” (AASM, 2024)
This paper argues that minimal, if any, of the claimed energy savings are observed in the U.S. under DST. - Roenneberg et al. (2019) — “Why should we abolish Daylight Saving Time?”
This review explores a range of impacts of DST and notes that many of the original arguments for energy saving (lighting, etc.) are less relevant now, and that modern usage (e.g. heating, cooling) can offset those gains. - MDPI Study (2025) — “The Impact of Daylight Saving Time on the Energy …”
Very recent study found that DST not only fails to reduce energy consumption in many cases, but actually increases it. This is largely due to greater use of air conditioning in evenings and higher electricity demand during warmer nights. - ScienceDirect article — “Daylight Saving Time policy and energy consumption” (Küfeoğlu et al., 2021)
This paper shows that DST policy does not lead to a measurable amount of electrical energy savings in some contexts.
2. https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.10898?
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7205184/?
4. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/8/2088?
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484721006272?
What About Studies On Places That Don’t Observe DST?
While there aren’t many long-term studies comparing DST and non-DST populations directly, places like Hawaii and Arizona are often used as negative controls in scientific analyses. Hawaii, in particular, sits near the equator and has no need for time shifts due to its stable daylight hours. Residents there report more stable sleep patterns and fewer circadian disruptions.
Although definitive studies on the benefits of not observing DST are limited, the absence of the associated spikes in accidents, sleep loss, and health events in these regions is telling. When used as controls in national studies, Hawaii and Arizona consistently show none of the acute problems that plague DST-observing regions.
Reddit is full of anecdotal evidence from users who feel the same way:
- r/science: daylight_saving_time_messes_with_sleep
- r/AutisticWithADHD: “Does daylight saving time ruin your sleep too?”
- r/Millennials: “DST hits harder as an adult…”
- r/science: “Transition from DST to standard time linked to sleep disorders…”
- r/aspergirls: “Why is DST so difficult to cope with???”
More Than Half of the World Doesn’t Use DST
I was really shocked to find out that more than half of the world doesn’t observe DST. Only about 35–40% of countries still follow it, while roughly 60–65% do not. It’s mostly practiced in North America, Europe, and a few parts of Oceania and the Middle East. Most of Asia, Africa, and South America have either never used DST or abandoned it altogether.
There are several reasons why. Many of these regions, especially those near the equator, experience minimal variation in daylight hours throughout the year, making DST unnecessary. Others have dropped it after studies showed that it offers no real energy savings and instead causes widespread disruption to public health and daily routines. The global trend seems to be moving away from DST.
In fact, several countries that once observed DST have repealed it entirely following public backlash and policy reassessment. Russia abolished it in 2011 citing health and productivity concerns, and Argentina and Venezuela did the same due to minimal daylight variation and widespread inconvenience. Egypt also has a long, convoluted history with DST. It was first introduced under British rule in the 1940s, reintroduced intermittently through the decades, then taken away entirely in 2011 after a public referendum showed 79% disapproval. There were attempts to reinstate it in 2014 but that attempt failed in 2016 amid logistical confusion and resistance.
Russia: Local Daylight Saving Time abolished
Daylight Saving Time Could End in These Countries | TIME
Time Zone News: Countries That Change Their Clocks
Some Countries are Still Trying to Reinstate it
Brazil eliminated daylight saving time in 2019, citing studies that showed minimal energy savings and negative impacts on sleep and health. However, the country has since faced severe droughts that crippled its hydroelectric power supply. This resulted in widespread energy shortages and increased electricity costs. In response to these challenges, Brazilian energy authorities approved a proposal in September 2024 to reinstate DST as a measure to save energy and reduce peak demand. The plan is still pending final approval from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The Philippines, which previously experimented with DST, is now revisiting the concept as a tool to address rising energy consumption. In August 2024, a House panel in the Philippine Congress approved a bill that would empower the President to implement DST during parts of the year. Lawmakers argue that aligning active hours with more natural daylight could help mitigate energy demand during peak usage periods. The bill is part of a broader national conversation around improving energy efficiency and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Egypt has had a back and forth relationship with DST. After suspending it for seven years due to logistical challenges and public backlash, the government reinstated it in 2023. This time, it was introduced as a permanent, annual policy aimed at conserving energy and lowering the country’s reliance on fuel imports. The return of DST was framed as a response to ongoing economic pressures and energy security concerns, mirroring a global trend where some countries see DST as a strategic, if controversial, solution to energy crises.
Brazil energy authorities approve returning to daylight saving time as drought bites | Reuters
The Philippines Welcomes DST during Dry Season
Cairo News
Daylight saving time in Egypt – Wikipedia
But Many (Mainly in the USA) Want to Get Rid of it
There seems to be a huge growing interest in wanting to end daylight savings for good. Several states in the USA have passed legislation or voter-approved measures aiming to adopt permanent DST, yet none have taken effect, federal approval is required first under the Uniform Time Act. What’s crazy is in this list below, there are 5 states that I lived in that still have not made the change despite interest in it going away.
Notable examples:
- Florida: Passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2018, signed by the governor, to stay on DST year-round; pending Congressional approval.
- California: Voters approved Proposition 7 in 2018 to allow the legislature to pursue year-round DST. But the legislature has yet to act, and federal law still blocks implementation.
- Nevada: In 2015, lawmakers passed a resolution urging Congress to grant the state authority to stay on DST permanently also pending federal change.
- Washington State: Passed a bill in 2019 for year-round DST, contingent on Congress changing federal law. Efforts continue; implementation is blocked without federal action.
- Texas: Passed the “Texas Time” bill to eliminate it, but it also cannot take effect until Congress authorizes it.
- Oklahoma (2024): Passed a law that would lock the state to DST year-round but again, only if federal law allows it. NCS
- Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming: Passed state-level bills or resolutions supporting permanent DST, but none can take effect without a change in federal law.
This means that 22 states in the US are actively voting to get rid of it. Plus there are 2 states that already don’t practice it. This means that almost half of the population is questioning the value of DST or want to get rid of it entirely.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_time_observation_in_the_United_States
https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/daylight-saving-time-2025-21026691.php
https://www.ncsl.org/transportation/daylight-saving-time-state-legislation
A Plea to End It
I believe that DST doesn’t serve a meaningful purpose in our world and actively harms public health. For people with dysregulated nervous systems like mine, the consequences are destabilizing. But it’s not just about people with POTS or chronic illnesses. Children, shift workers, and frankly anyone with a circadian rhythm suffers needlessly.
Permanent standard time would provide consistency, better sleep, improved health outcomes, and safer roads. We have the science, the public sentiment, and the lived experiences to back this up. It’s time to stop the clock changes. It’s time to end daylight saving time for good.
Why Do Vitamins Make Me Feel Sick? – Notes From Dysregulation
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