{"id":8000,"date":"2026-07-16T21:47:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T16:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=8000"},"modified":"2026-07-16T21:47:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T16:47:34","slug":"why-permanent-daylight-saving-time-is-better-for-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=8000","title":{"rendered":"Why permanent daylight saving time is better for your health"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2023%2F11%2F134594891.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>After more than a century, is it time to ditch springing forward and falling back \u2014 and finally \u201clock the clock\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>This week, the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/14\/us-news\/house-passes-trump-backed-bill-to-make-daylight-saving-time-permanent\/\">House of Representatives passed the \u201cSunshine Protection Act,\u201d<\/a> which would make daylight saving time (DST) \u2014 the time we use in the summer \u2014 permanent, meaning no more twice-a-year clock changes.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond doing away with the annoyance of reprogramming the time on your microwave every March and November, this would mean the sun rises one hour later in the winter \u2014 and sets one hour later in the evening.<\/p>\n<p>Making DST permanent is something experts say will eliminate the harsh effects of sleep disruption associated with changing the clocks.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>It\u2019s unclear if the Sunshine Protection Act will pass the Senate. <span class=\"credit\">Drazen \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The bipartisan bill will now head to the Senate floor, where things look a bit more doubtful. <\/p>\n<p>Senators including Tom Cotton of Arkansas point to 1974, when permanent daylight savings time was enacted. \u201cMillions of Americans traveled to work and school in darkness. Commuter trains were delayed. Schoolchildren carried flashlights,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cotton.senate.gov\/news\/speeches\/floor-speech-on-opposing-the-sunshine-protection-act\">said<\/a>. \u201cTragically, some of these kids were struck by cars and killed while walking to school in the dark.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But outspoken supporters of the bill, including President Trump, say permanent DST would do the opposite \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/article\/2026\/07\/15\/daylight-saving-time-permanent-congress-bill-sunrise-sunset\/\">prevent traffic accidents<\/a>, while increasing productivity and even lower crime.<\/p>\n<p>Daylight saving time does have huge effects on our bodies. Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clock changing sleep loss is hard on the body<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0022437522001141\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Research from 2020<\/a> found that the fall-back hour was connected to a 6% increase in car wrecks overall with a 15% rise in freeway crashes, 9% of non-intersection crashes, 28% for nighttime crashes (28%) and single-vehicle crashes respectively, and crashes in urban areas also rose by 12%.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe scientific evidence points to acute increases in adverse health consequences from changing the clocks, including in\u00a0heart attack\u00a0and\u00a0stroke,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.jhu.edu\/2023\/7-things-to-know-about-daylight-saving-time#:~:text=Making%20the%20shift%20can%20increase,a%20professor%20in%20Mental%20Health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said Johns Hopkins sleep expert\u00a0Adam Spira<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe consequences of insufficient sleep include decreases in cardiovascular health, increases in diabetes and obesity, poorer mental health, lower cognitive performance, and an increase in the risk of motor vehicle accidents,\u201d Spira added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Health defects have been tied to daylight savings.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The change causes a disruption to our body\u2019s circadian rhythm, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nigms.nih.gov\/education\/fact-sheets\/Pages\/circadian-rhythms.aspx#:~:text=Circadian%20rhythms%20are%20physical%2C%20mental,the%20study%20of%20circadian%20rhythms.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dictates sleep patterns<\/a> in a 24-hour span. And being awake before the sun\u2019s rise is no good for mental health.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t really know the specific reason for increases in heart disease and stroke during the daylight saving time change, but it likely has something to do with the disruption to the body\u2019s internal clock, or its circadian rhythm,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.franciscanhealth.org\/community\/blog\/daylight-saving-time-heart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones<\/a>, president of the American Heart Association.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When DST ends, SAD begins<\/h2>\n<p>The end of DST also marks the start of seasonal depression, medically referred to as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It impacts up to 5% of the adult population while another 10-20% also suffer from mild winter blues, <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/9293-seasonal-depression\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according to The Cleveland Clinic<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Symptoms of SAD, which typically show up in the fall and subside in the spring, include increased fatigue and low energy, loss of interest, low libido and hopelessness.<\/p>\n<p>A lack of sunlight brought on by the time change is linked to a chemical shift in the brain, experts believe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMelatonin, a sleep-related hormone, also has been linked to SAD,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/conditions-and-diseases\/seasonal-affective-disorder#:~:text=Seasonal%20affective%20disorder%2C%20or%20SAD,antidepressants%20can%20help%20treat%20SAD.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">writes Johns Hopkins<\/a>. \u201cThe body naturally makes more melatonin when it\u2019s dark. So, when the days are shorter and darker, more melatonin is made.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The extra hour of sleep isn\u2019t worth these health impacts experts warn about. <span class=\"credit\">SISMIZ \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One surefire way to counteract SAD is to find ways to soak up the sun when you can, according to Johns Hopkins. <\/p>\n<p>Taking vitamin D supplements, which our bodies produce when skin is exposed to sunlight, is another way to boost the mood-regulating hormone serotonin during months of overcast, the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/seasonal-affective-disorder\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20364651\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Mayo Clinic<\/a> advises. Light therapy with UV lamps is another option.<\/p>\n<p>These are some things to be aware of with daylight savings and <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/10\/21\/how-to-battle-seasonal-affective-disorder-this-winter-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the effects of SAD<\/a> and the time change overall as colder weather approaches.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">But is DST the one we should stick with?<\/h2>\n<p>Some research suggests that daylight saving time is actually worse for your body than standard time \u2014 and that if we were going to keep one permanent, it should be standard time.<\/p>\n<p>Getting sunlight in the morning is important for maintaining circadian rhythms, regulating hormones and improving mood. <\/p>\n<p>Some experts worry that if the sun is rising later in the winter, people may face issues with sleep, alertness and depression. That circadian disruption may also lead to higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is daylight saving time (DST) and why do we have it?<\/h2>\n<p>Daylight savings is the practice of setting clocks ahead during spring and summer to afford us more daylight hours. <\/p>\n<p>Though not all societies choose to participate, a form of DST is seen throughout North America, Europe and some South American countries.<\/p>\n<p>DST was adopted globally more than a century ago as a way to reduce daily energy use during the darkness of winter, as more sunlight during waking hours meant less need to burn down candles. Since then, several countries have dropped the habit in favor of year-round standard time, as many studies have shown the practice may be putting people at a detriment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After more than a century, is it time to ditch springing forward and falling back \u2014 and finally \u201clock the clock\u201d? This week, the House of Representatives passed the \u201cSunshine Protection Act,\u201d which would make daylight saving time (DST) \u2014 the time we use in the summer \u2014 permanent, meaning no more twice-a-year clock changes&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/134594891.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}