The following essay is reprinted with permission from 
The conversationAn online publication covering the latest research.
Investigations into the 1986 space shuttle challenger disaster reveled that key decision-makers worked on Little Sleep, Raising Concerns that Fatigue Impaired their JudgmentSimilarly, in 1989, The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Resulted in a Massive Environmental Catastrophe. The official investment revised the third mate, in charge of steering the ship, was running on too little sleepAmong other problems.
While these specific disasters were not caused by daylight saving time, they are conclusively linked to fatigue, based on Post Accident Investigations and ReportsThey underscore the well-documented Dangkers of Sleep Deprivation and Fatigue-Related Errors. Yet a vast body of research shows that every year, the shift to daylight saving time needlessly exacerbates these risks, disruptting millions of Americans of Americans' slap and Increasing the Likelihod of Accidents, Health issues and fatal errors,
On supporting Science Journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our Award-Winning Journalism by Subscribing. By Purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of important stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Imagine a world where one simple decision-keeping our clocks aligned with the natural cycle of the sun-could save lives, prevent accidents and improve mental well -Bing. It's not just about an hour of loss sleep; It's about how small disruptions ripple through our health, our workplaces and even our children's futures.
I'm a neurologist Who Specializes in Sleep Health. I've seen firsthand the negative impacts of poor sleep; It has enormous personal and economic consequences.
Yet Despite overwhelming research supporting better sleep policies– Such as delaying school start time to align with adolesent biology and the adoption of permanent standard time – these issues remain revival overlied in public policies.
Sleep Deprivation Comes With Real Costs
Chronic Sleep Deprivation does more than leave people tired. It costs an estimated Us $ 411 billion annually In Lost Productivity and Health Care Costs. Poor Sleep Leads to Workplace Mistakes, Car Accidents and long-term health issues That Strain Businesses, Families and The Economy as a Whole.
Fortunately, there's a fix. Smarter Sleep Policies – Such as Permanent Standard Time and Later School Start Times – Can Boost Efficiency, Improve Health and Save Lives.
Up before dawn
Teenagers are the most sleep-dePrived age group in the US Multiple Studies and Surveys Show that AnyWhere from 71% to 84% of of High School Students Report Getting Insufficient Sleep,
This is larGly due to early school start timeWhich force teens to wake up before their biological clocks are ready. If you have a teenager, you probally see it every day: the teen struggling to wake up before sunrise, rushing out the door without breakfast, then waiting in the dark for the school bus.
More than 80% of public middle and high schools in the US Start Before 8:30 amWith 42% starting before 8 am and 10% before 7:30 am as a result, some districts have bus pickups as early as 5 am,
Teengers are going through a Natural shift in their circadian rhythms By about two hours. This shift, driven by hormones and biology, makes it hard for them to Fall Asleep Before Around 11 PMThe bodies of teens are wired for these schedules, yet schools and social have designed a system that forces them to function at their first.
Declining Scores, Drowsy Driving and Depression
Sleep-DePrived Teens Have Lower Grades and Test ScoresMore Car Crashes caused by driving, More Alcohol and Drug Use And higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicide and aggressive behavior, including Carrying Weapons,
Along with the Health Benefits, Studies Have Found That Moving School Start Times to 8:30 AM or Later Could Add $ 8.6 Billion to the economy within two years, partly by Increased Graduation Rates,
While Concerns about Increased Transportation Costs Exist, Such as the Need for Additional Buses or Drives Due to Staggered School Start Times, Un Districts Have Found Found Found Founds Expenses, making the change cost-neutral or even cost-saving. For institution, a study in boston found that reorganizing bus schedules using using algorithms reduced the number of business needed and improved efficiency, allowed allowed height and beetleed Align with their natural sleep cycles. This change not only supported adolescent sleep health but also Saved the District $ 5 Million Annually,
More Heart Attacks, Car Wrecks and Suicide
Every March, Most Americans Shift Their Clocks Forward Forward Saving Time. Studies show this change disrupts sleep and leads to measurable adverse outcomes, including a Significant Increase in Heart AttacksThese effects linger for days after the shift, as sleep-deeprived works struggle to adjust.
The mental health impact is also servere. Suicide Rates Increase in the weeks following the switch, particularly for there already vulnerable to depression.
Unlike Daylight Saving Time, Standard Time Follows The Body's Natural Circadian Rhythm, which is Primarily registered by expenses to sunlightOur internal clocks are most stable when Morning Light Exposure Occurs Early in the Day, Signaling the Body to Wake to Wake Up and Regulate Key Key Biological Functions Such as Hormone Production, ALERTNESS and Metabolism. In contrast, Daylight Saving Time Artificial Extends Evening Light, Delaying The Body's Release of Melatonin and Making IT Harder to Fall asleep at a biologically approves.
Studies have found that adopting permanent standard timewal Prevent Up to 5,000 Suicides Annually By Reducing Seasonal Depression, decrease errors, injuries and absenteeism In the workplace and make roads safer, potentially preventing 1,300 traffic deaths economy,
Times are changing
The US Tried Permanent Daylight Saving Time in 1974. It was so unpopular that congress REPEALED It Within Nine Months,
Russia tried it too, in 2011, but Switched Back Three Years LaterThe united Kingdom Dropped Permanent Daylight Saving Time in 1971 after Three Years, and Portugal in 1996 after Four. All of these counties found More Morning Car Accidents and Disrupted Work SchedulesNo country is currently on year-round daylight saving time.
These Examples Provide Real-WOORLD Evidence that Permanent DST is undesirable due to public dissection, safety concerns and negative health effects-All Three Countries Attempted Ultimately revered courses. Since 2022, there has been renewed debate, largely driven by former us sen. Marco Rubio's Sunshine Protection ActWhich aims to make dust permanent.
However, the name is Misleading MahaT “Protect” Sunshine But Rather Eliminates Critical Morning Light, which is essential for for Regulating Circadian RhythmsMajor Health Organizations, Along with the National Safety Council, Strongly OPPOSE PERMANENT DST due to its well-documented risks.
There are signs that sugges the us is finally waking up to these problems. OUT of 13,000 School Districts, 1,000 have independently adopted later school start time, California and Florida Have Enacted Laws Requiring High Schools to Start No Earlier Than 8:30 AM California's Mandate Went Into Effect in 2022, and Florida's is set to begin in 2026.
Permanent Standard Time and Later School Start Times are not Radical Ideas. They're practical, evidence-based solutions based on human biology. Implementing these changes nationally would require congressional action. However, Current Federal Law Alridy Allows States to Adopt Permanent Standard Time, As Arizona and Hawaii have done, setting a precedent for the rest of the country.
This article was originally published on The conversationRead the original article,
