Sleep experts advise against making DST permanent
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Sleep experts are advising against making daylight saving time permanent in the United States. This follows a unanimous sweep in the U.S. Senate for the Sunshine Protection Act, S.623. If enacted into law, this act would completely eliminate the changing of clocks to standard time – meaning we would no longer “fall back” the first weekend of November.
While the American Academy of Sleep Medicine applauds the U.S. Senate for passing a bill to establish a national, fixed, year-round time in the U.S., they caution that making daylight saving time permanent overlooks potential health risks that can be avoided by establishing permanent standard time instead.
An AASM daylight saving time position statement published in 2020 supports the elimination of seasonal time changes. Data clearly show that the sudden change from standard time to daylight saving time in March is associated with significant public health and safety risks, including increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events, mood disorders, and motor vehicle crashes.
The AASM position statement also indicates that “current evidence best supports the adoption of year-round standard time, which aligns best with human circadian biology and provides distinct benefits for public health and safety.”
The statement was endorsed by more than 20 medical, scientific, and civic organizations, including the American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National PTA, National Safety Council, Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, and World Sleep Society.
The AASM went on to say that this “quick action by the Senate allowed for neither a robust discussion nor a debate.”
“We call on the House to take more time to assess the potential ramifications of establishing permanent daylight saving time before making such an important decision that will affect all Americans,” AASM wrote. “It is time to stop changing the time twice per year. We believe that permanent standard time is the best option for health.”
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