As the days grow longer and the clocks “spring forward,” Americans lose an hour of sleep but gain more time debating about Daylight Saving Time. Should we keep changing the clocks, or is it time to just leave them alone? Here’s what to know.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) gives us those long, luxurious summer evenings but also those short winter days that no one is particularly fond of. When the clocks “fall back,” we switch to Standard Time. However, during DST, the days last longer, and we get more sunlight in the evenings, which is what we began experiencing this week.

“I like having daylight saving time because I couldn’t imagine having my summer nights cut off an hour earlier. Even though I lose an hour of sleep, it’s worth it because I have more time in the day to make memories,” said sophomore Ally Behm.

But not everyone thinks DST is great. The debate about DST has gained momentum in recent years as many advocate for its elimination. The Sunshine Protection Act, passed in 2023, temporarily extended DST for another year. Discussions around it have remained largely quiet since then until it resurfaced during Donald Trump’s campaign. According to the article “Trump’s plan to end daylight saving: Will 4:30 a.m. be the new American daybreak?” by NBC News, Trump stated that the time change was “inconvenient and costly” to our nation.“I’m thinking about moving to Singapore where there are 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night, so I will never have to worry about the time again,” said Mr. Vaughn, a Physics and Calculus teacher. Still, some states like Arizona and Hawaii have opted out of DST because of their location and weather, sticking with Standard Time year-round. Some students think longer days are worth the inconvenience.

“We should continue with the time change so that the summer nights stay longer and we can sleep in during the morning,” said junior Avery Hutchison. She continues, “It would affect my summertime walks because it’s so peaceful to walk late at night in the summer, and there’s just a little bit of light left. It could also potentially affect our sleep schedule, as our rooms would become lighter way earlier in the morning, disrupting sleep.”

Senior Charlie Tabone does not feel strongly either way. “Keeping it or getting rid of it doesn’t really matter to me. People just gotta keep on living. It’s just twice a year that it changes, and we’re just talking about an hour, so I’ll just go with the flow,” he said.

Despite the benefits, DST has been linked to several negative effects on health. Losing an hour of sleep in the spring can upset people’s sleep schedules. “I think that losing an hour of sleep in the spring affects me because I’ve noticed that I feel less focused in school and more drained during sports. I’ve also noticed that it’s harder for me to maintain a regular sleep schedule because it’s more difficult for me to fall asleep and even harder to wake up the next morning. Even though it’s only an hour we’re losing, I feel like it actually does affect our sleep schedule, mood, and energy levels,” said junior Ella Hutchinson.

According to an article written about how standard time is better for humans by The Hill, scientists and sleep experts are mainly on board with keeping standard time because of its effect on sleep. It throws off the body’s natural rhythm and sleeping patterns dramatically. Statistics in the article show that more car accidents and workplace injuries occur the day after the time change. The impact goes beyond sleep issues for other students.

“The whole week after the time change, I have a hard time adjusting, and I’m always tired. I’d much rather stay in standard time because I also like early mornings, and our country could be more productive with earlier mornings. Everyone could wake up earlier and get things done before the workday starts,” said junior Tanner Fitzwater.

The history behind Daylight Saving Time adds some interesting context to the debate. Many people think DST was created to help farmers, but that’s actually a myth. Farmers hated the time change because it shortened their morning hours. DST was introduced during World War I to save energy, but it was not until later that it became more accepted. Some states did not observe it after the war. This led to so much confusion that 1966 Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, setting a national standard for DST, except for Arizona and Hawaii.

“I thought daylight saving time originated because farmers needed more daylight to grow the crops they needed to sell and provide for the country,” said sophomore Ethan Marquart. However, the real reason DST started was to conserve energy during the war, not to help farmers.