Voters in California favor maintaining daylight saving time for the entire year; however, researchers from USC argue that this may not be advisable. (Photo/iStock)
Policy/Law
Is maintaining daylight saving time year-round a wise choice? Perhaps not
An expert from USC acknowledges the biological difficulties associated with time changes; ideally, we should remain on standard time all year.
This article was initially released on March 19, 2019, and has since been revised.
If adjusting to and from daylight saving time leaves you feeling more fatigued than usual, you’re not the only one.
Many individuals require a full week to feel normal again after experiencing the sluggishness that follows setting the clock back for daylight saving time. Experts refer to this occurrence as “social jet lag.”
Similar to the jet lag we feel after traveling across time zones, losing an hour disrupts our circadian rhythm. This not only disturbs our sleep patterns but also has effects at the cellular level, as many biological processes are synchronized with that clock.
“It really disrupts people,” remarked Steve Kay, the director of the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience and an authority on circadian rhythm.
“It impacts human efficiency. The evidence has been evident regarding road accidents and there’s also evidence that it’s detrimental in terms of cardiovascular health: Heart attacks increase.”
In California, daylight saving time may be adopted year-round following the 2018 voter approval of Proposition 7. This ballot initiative permits the state legislature to establish permanent daylight saving time — contingent upon changes to federal law allowing such a transition.
Studies indicate various health issues associated with circadian disruptions. When prolonged, as seen in night shift workers, the chances of developing obesity, Type 2 diabetes, or cancer increase, according to experts at USC.
OSHA includes the side effects of daylight saving time in its training programs, since workplace injuries rise by about 6 percent.
Some supporters of the proposition highlighted health concerns, such as increases in traffic accidents and heart attacks, but USC specialists assert these arguments are misguided. Permanent daylight saving time wouldn’t remedy this problem; instead, it would exacerbate it — adding more instances of social jet lag throughout the year.
Year-round daylight saving time and cellular function
A recent study conducted by Kay and his researchers demonstrated that circadian disruptions altered cellular functions, thus heightening disease risks, including cancer.
This change could especially impact teenagers, who are biologically inclined to wake later. When they sleep in late on weekends, it’s not purely lethargy; it’s biology, according to Kay. This is why some educational institutions are adjusting their start times. Recent studies revealed that students received an average of 34 additional minutes of sleep when school commenced later.
“As we age, our biological clocks tend to shift earlier,” Kay stated.
If anything, Kay suggests California should transition permanently to standard time like Hawaii and Arizona. The Society for Research of Biological Rhythms wrote a letter of support to the author of Proposition 7 advocating this change. Although it would entail earlier nights, it would address the health repercussions associated with beginning each day in the dark.
“Our highly developed circadian lifestyle is compromising our health,” Kay asserted in a recent paper. “Humans are not adapted for night shifts, nighttime illumination, and intercontinental travel. The contemporary challenges posed to our circadian system represent a long-term threat to our well-being.”