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The Dark Side of Daylight Savings 😶🌫️
Sunshine!!!
Red Young
March 16, 2025 • Reading time: 8 minutes
The Dark Side of Springing Forward 🌥️
Waking up knowing there’s only 15 minutes until the alarm …
We time traveled an hour into the future this week. Can you feel it?
Okay, while Daylight Savings Time (DST) isn’t exactly time travel, some supernatural effects do seem to accompany it.
Amidst the chaotic uncertainty of the world, an extra hour of sunlight confirms one thing to be true, and we can feel it in the air: Spring has Sprung.
The dimension of bright revival we’ve entered isn’t just sunshine and rainbows, though.
Like anything else in life, an extra hour comes at a cost.
Herman Hesse said it like this:
“There is no escape ... You want to get drunk, so you have to accept the hangover. You say yes to the sunlight and pure fantasies, so you have to say yes to the filth and the nausea … “
These are the unfortunate physics of life on Earth.
Even sunshine shows up for a tax.
We’ve been Sprang.
Don’t be surprised if you notice typically spry and peppy people limping around like zombies this week – it isn’t their fault.
They’re deprived, broken, and confused by DST.
I know what you’re thinking. “Could the loss of just one Sunday morning hour cause such disruption?”
Oh, reader … You don’t know the half.
This chart illustrates the impacts of DST, with accidents and heart attacks increasing as sleep and mental health decrease.
“Spring Forward Sunday” (as we’ll call it) is among the worst days for productivity and safety alongside Super Bowl Monday and the opening round of March Madness.
It’s the equivalent of a non-alcoholic hangover, doubling in its deleterious effects if combined with an eventful Saturday night.
Sleep is by far the most powerful and restorative process any human can experience. You’ve heard it all your life.
Mess with its delicate rhythm, even if just a little, and everything can get blown off the rails.
You aren’t just losing an hour of sleep with DST – the synchronization of your body’s clock, the sun, and the chronological schedule that you typically follow for sleep is also disjointed.
Alignment of your circadian rhythm (your body’s clock) mirrors the sun.
Or, at least, it should.
Now that we live in civilized, urban societies with plenty of technology, disruptions to our circadian rhythm are all around us.
Staying up late and doomscrolling can sincerely disrupt your circadian rhythm, for example, but recovery from a bad night can take a few days or less.
With DST, you might find yourself exhausted when the alarm rings, or waking up an hour later on weekends.
It can take several weeks for your body to recoup from that one lost hour.
That’s just one of a few reasons that there have been nationwide calls for an end to the archaic practice of DST.
I don’t have to sell you on the value of sleep, though.
It’s a regenerative, peaceful escape, and as years pass, this nocturnal nectar begins to feel more precious.
It’s a far cry from the days of youth, when we could wake up to our parents painstakingly adjusting the stovetop clock on the “spring forward” day.
“We lost an hour!” They’d say with a tinge of panic.
Shrugging, we’d make our way to the living room and forget all about it.
These days, it isn’t that simple.
Children are wizards in the way they seem immune to the effects of age, time, and loss.
As adults, we are at the mercy of responsibility and stress.
Keeping a routine is a blessing, and finding a rhythm is euphoric.
Time is truly of the essence. Threats to any sense of order are scantly welcome.
The “spring forward”, impacting over 1 billion people across 70 countries around the world, acts as a nefarious stone plotted on the track of a steam engine.
Okay, I hear you. Enough with the bummers.
Now for the upside of DST: more sun! 🌞
Benefits of DST/Longer Days 🌻
Enhanced Mood 😇 More sunlight boosts serotonin levels, often referred to as the body's natural 'happy' hormone. This can lead to improved mood and a lower risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
More Time for Exercise 💪🏾 With more daylight in the evening, we tend to be more active, engaging in outdoor activities, sports, and exercise after work.
Live footage of everyone on the first 50 degree day in NYC
Better Sleep Patterns 😴 Although the transition into DST temporarily disrupts sleep patterns, the subsequent longer periods of daylight can help regulate the body's internal clock, leading to improved sleep quality over time.
Social and Community Engagement 👨👩👧👦 Longer days facilitate social interactions and community participation, from walks to outdoor events, fostering a sense of belonging and well-being.
Nothing like a long evening of conversation as the sun sets.
Tips for Adjusting to “Spring Forward” 🔧
🌤️ Spend more time outdoors. Seek exposure to natural light (preferably before 10 A.M.) to stabilize your internal clock and improve alertness.
🛀🏾 Evening Routine: Maintain a relaxing bedtime routine and limit exposure to bright screens in the evening to support better sleep quality.
If you’re still feeling sluggish on this pre-spring morning, have no fear.
Simply trust in the powers of the The Day Star, with an eye on the months of late sunsets to come.
Did you find this content helpful? |
Some quotations or writing excerpts are powerful enough to stop me in my tracks and demand I consider them.
Below are a collection of four that are certain to motivate you through a difficult week, or linger in your mind during idle moments.
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