Friday Question #213
Daylight saving time – for it, or against it?
Starting next week, the sun will set earlier in many areas.
This Sunday at 2:00 am, most of us will gain an hour of sleep, as we leave Daylight saving time (DST). The wikipedia page on DST is quite interesting – both the history of it, and the pros and cons of it.
Anyway.
Short answer – I would be happy to keep one time year round, but I think it would be DST, with more light in the evening. I have to get up when I have to get up in the morning, and the light then isn’t helping me too much (and I don’t mind running in the dark). I just get really bummed in the winter when I get home from work and it’s already dark. And not to mention, moving the clocks around really seems to mess with me!
Has anyone ever lived somewhere where they did not practice DST? What did you think about it?
Themocracy
I will be curious to see responses and if you get any from people who didn’t practice DST.
I mostly don’t like it because every time the time changes again, my sleep patterns get all screwed up and I’m grouchy for a week.
And I think I have mentioned more than once that I just want to live wherever it doesn’t get dark early. I could care less in the morning, I’m just going to work.
I am with you on that – I get up early for work so… whatevs 🙂
Hmmm, I guess I don’t feel strongly about it one way or the other. Although, I agree, it makes me sad to have it get dark so early.
I love teaching my kids about the history of it:) Personally, I am with you – I’d rather have more light in the evenings.
And YES! We so need to chat about NYC. Many people just think I am crazy for loving that city so much – it’s nice to know that there’s someone else out there who appreciates it as much as I do!
Ooo, what are the highlights you teach them?!
I can’t wait for our NYC chat! 🙂 The city feels very different to me than Chicago. Maybe since I don’t work there? who knows?!!!
I’m looking forward to it- mornings have been a huge struggle for me lately!!!
Its love hate. Love the I get to sleep in a little extra on Sunday cause we gain the hour. BUT HATE that I now will be going to work in the dark and also coming home in the dark too! I feel like I spend most of the year running in the dark too! Guess Ill have to try for more lunch runs this winter!
I don’t mind it but I agree that I hate getting home when it’s nearly dark (I usually get home at 4:30 so it’s not super dark at that time regardless). I prefer to have more light in the evening hours because I am always awake before the sun anyway.
As for places that don’t practice DST, when we honeymooned in Hawaii in March it was a little confusing. They don’t practice DST and while we were there, DST occurred. It was ok while we were in Hawaii but on our way home I was so confused about how many hours our flight from Honolulu to Phoenix was because I didn’t realize that Arizona doesn’t practice DST either.
I’m one that never really thought about it actually – I just do it. ha. I really dislike the amount of darkness in the winter though!
I guess I’ve never really thought about it much – I just do it. Lol. I’ve always been a boring rule-follower, though. 🙂
It wrecks havoc with the kids so I hate it. Don’t some parts of Indiana not do it still?
Yes! There’s a great episode in “First in his Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton” where he and his campaign are on the trail in ’92 and suddenly realize that where they are going in Indiana doesn’t practice Daylight Savings Time and their whole schedule is effed.
I don’t mind it I guess. I don’t like that it’s dark when I leave work but I do like that it gets light earlier in the AM for my runs.
I don’t mind it really even though it throws me off for a week or so. When I was in Mexico last week, they had to change their clocks back for winter and it was interesting to see how the weather totally changed with it. Like the waves were not as big and it wasn’t as warm!
That is really interesting! I am behind on blog reading! I hope when I catch up I get to see some Mexico pictures…?!
While I do like DST for the “spring forward” aspect of it as it stays lighter longer, I hate the switching we do from standard to daylight savings time. I’d prefer to stay on DST year round.
Ditto.
How did Nathan do with the time change today?
I hate it every year when we have to change the time. Wish they would just stop doing this.
Personally, I never really gave it too much thought. I am happier when it’s light when I wake up as opposed to pitch black, but I hate it that it’s already dark at 5pm. But it’s only one hour and it never had any real impact on my life.
What I really do hate is that daylight saving time starts at different weeks across the world. So, there is always this week in the year that my phone rings at 5 am, I freak out because I think that something horrible has happened, and then I realize that my dad just called to say good morning.
Ahh! That is annoying! I wonder what the logic is behind that. Unfortunately, I am not smart enough to think it out on my own right now. Ha.
As much as I like fall, I don’t like the time change, mostly because it gets dark too early. I’d much rather have long days instead. But that’s just me!
When the kids were really small – babies and toddlers on a strictish sleep schedule, I hated the change (BOTH changes really) because it completely effed up my world.
Now that everyone is older, I don’t hate it as much. I do hate it dark so early in the evening, but it’s been honestly rough getting going with it so dark in the morning too. So I’m all for pick one and let it be…
I definitely would rather have more light in the evening. Not only do I prefer to run outdoors in the evening, but I absolutely hate not seeing the sun in the cold months of winter because of work. Although I didn’t mind gaining an extra hour this morning 🙂
In the spring, I worked the day before day light savings, and on the news, all they talked about was how much it threw off people…more accidents, less productivity at work. I (and all my night shift coworkers…) just laugh because we switch our schedule 12 hours at least once per week, if not more. It’s baffling to me that people are that thrown off by a one hour change!
Do you think it is because we are on such a set schedule with more typical 5 days a week/9-5 schedule and don’t have time to catch up on sleep? It does really make me feel tired in the spring!
As much as I like it to be light until past 8pm in the summer time, I think I would gladly trade it to get rid of DST. Just go by standard time all year around like Hawaii and Arizona do. I remember being in Hawaii in 2009 when DST kicked in. Then flying home while it happened and being in the air. So messed me up for several days.