On March 13, 2022, Americans in every state except Hawaii and Arizona lost an hour of sleep. In the grand scheme of life, one hour doesn’t appear like much. A 60 minute time change only impacts people a little—right?

Wrong. 

The transition to standard time results in a waste of time, money, and energy. It even costs men and women lives due to an increased risk of accidents. 

The United States should abolish daylight savings time.

Many individuals argue that turning our clocks back in November each year improves our civilization. People believe it helps with farmer’s costs, people’s safety, and appears logical for mornings and evenings for the seasons. 

Some evidence even shows that crime rates decrease as robberies and other crimes are more likely to occur at night when criminals are unlikely to be spotted.

Even though many people benefit from sunlight in the morning during the winter, experts find that people go out more later in the day. 

Tourism increases as well because of motivation to go shopping or eat out. This fact, in turn, causes the economy to improve. 

The small increase in dog walking and jogging during standard time does not have nearly as much of an impact for the country’s economy as tourism.

Transitioning times results in a waste of money, rather than saving it. 

According to a Yahoo! Finance article, Daylight Savings can cost the US more than $430 million per year, caused by a change in the clocks. 

A study conducted by Chmura Economics & Analytics found that by changing the clocks, people’s sleep patterns are disrupted and their circadian rhythms may be affected. This misalignment could cause possible drowsiness and add stress to the cardiovascular system leading to an increase in heart attacks and workplace injuries.

The study also found that “cyberloafing” by white-collar workers may lead to time wasted browsing the web, which will decrease productivity and profits.

The US Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act in early March – legislation that would nationally shift clocks an hour later to maximize daylight. Now the US House of Representatives will debate the merits of the bill. 

Politicians have the power to end the turning back and forward of clocks. They should use it to do good and help all Americans’ mental and physical health.