Daylight Savings is a system practiced in the United States where clocks are advanced so darkness can occur later. All states in the U.S., but Arizona and Hawaii, observe daylight savings. However, the change in clocks shifts circadian rhythms, which is linked to an increase in cardiovascular risks and sleep-related accidents. These negative effects prompt a re-evaluation of the practice of Daylight Savings.
Daylight Savings leads to broader issues, such as an increase in accidents. This is displayed in the change in traffic accidents following daylight savings. The effect of one hour of sleep is measurable in sleep patterns for five days after, and thus has a significant effect on everyday lives. Daylight Savings has a fall and spring shift. The spring shift involves a loss of sleep as clocks are turned back one hour. This causes sleep-deprivation, which is associated with less attention during driving and in turn causes more accidents. In the United States, the majority of the population uses cars as the main form of transportation. Thus, this effect on traffic accidents should be noted as a con in Daylight Savings.
During the spring shift, the risk of accidents has been shown to increase. One study showed a relative risk of 1.086 following the day after the spring shift. In comparison to a week later, the accident rate for the day after the shift was 1.070. However, during the fall shift of daylight savings, the risk of accidents lessened. The Monday after the fall shift, the relative risk was 0.937, while in comparison to the preceding Monday, the risk was 0.980. So, there is a direct relationship regarding sleep and accidents: a loss of sleep increases accidents by around 8 percent, while a gain of sleep decreases accidents by 8 percent.
Daylight Savings also leads to specific risks, such an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Similar to traffic accidents, during the Spring Shift there is an increase in AMI, while during the fall shift there is decrease. Specifically a 24 percent increase in daily AMI in the spring shift and a 21 percent decrease in the fall shift. (Manfredini et al.) Since daylight savings causes a disruption in circadian rhythm, which can increase pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, heart rate, and blood pressure, this combination could increase cardiovascular risks and is a potential explanation for the increase in AMI.
Noting these harmful effects, Daylight Savings should be taken under consideration. Daylight Savings was created to conserve energy sources during World Wars. So, the context of Daylight Savings purpose does not fit into modern times and thus, it is outdated. New policy should be considered following Arizona and Hawaii as examples. These two states set a precedent for success without Daylight Savings and as a whole, states in the U.S. can shift away from the practice of Daylight Savings in order to mitigate the risks.
Sources
- Coren, S. “Daylight Savings Time and Traffic Accidents.” The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 334, no. 14, 4 Apr. 1996, p. 924, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8596592, https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199604043341416.
- Manfredini, Roberto, et al. “Daylight Saving Time and Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol. 8, no. 3, 23 Mar. 2019, p. 404, https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8030404.
- McMillan, Alexx. “The History of Daylight Saving Time.” Alumni Association, 7 Nov. 2022, www.colorado.edu/coloradan/2022/11/07/history-daylight-saving-time.
