Growing Calls to End Daylight Saving Time Amid Evidence of Disruption to Health, Economy

Despite Senate's unanimous vote for permanent Daylight Saving Time, lawmakers' efforts stall as health experts and public express concerns about impacts on sleep, circadian rhythms, and northern states' dark winter mornings.

The recurring biannual change to and from Daylight Saving Time (DST) is seen as disruptive, leading to increased health issues, road accidents, and economic impacts like stock market losses. Support for abolishing the practice is strong, with a YouGov survey showing 62% of respondents in favour of stopping the time changes.
Despite the US Senate’s unanimous vote to make DST permanent, the initiative has stalled in the House. This bill, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, is backed by 19 states that have passed legislation in favour of permanent DST, if Congress agrees.
Advocates for permanent DST argue that it benefits retail business through increased after-work foot traffic, could reduce pedestrian fatalities and crime due to brighter evenings, and potentially improve mental health by providing more evening sunlight.
Opposition against DST centres on its negative effects on sleep and circadian rhythms. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine strongly opposes the Sunshine Protection Act and advocates for making standard time permanent due the disruption DST causes to biological clocks. Switching to DST is also related to health issues such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
Permanent DST would affect Northern states the most as their winter mornings tend to be darker. This would lead to late dawns, particularly in the western parts of each time zone. Regions like Hawaii, several US territories, and most of Arizona have already abandoned DST.