The Origins of Daylight Saving Time: Why Do We Change the Clocks?

On April 30, 1916, amid the tumultuous World War I, Germany and Austria-Hungary adopted Daylight Saving Time (DST) to conserve coal for much-needed energy. Little did anyone know, this desperation-driven decision would spur over a century of debate weighing the pros and cons of DST.

However, it is essential to note that those two countries were not the first to come up with this idea; indeed, daylight saving can be traced back to Benjamin Franklin and his satirical 1784 essay “An Economical Project,” which suggested regulations to ensure early risers. Still, the modern concept of daylight saving is credited to entomologist George Hudson, who in 1895 proposed a two-hour time shift after work so he could spend more time on recreational activities (Elkins). This proposition resurfaced during World War I, with the German and Austria-Hungarian governments hoping that such a system would force people to spend more time outside, thus using less electricity. The United States and the United Kingdom followed in 1918, though the U.S. later repealed it. DST usage in the U.S. reemerged during World War II, and it was suitably renamed “War Time.” Like before, daylight saving was largely forgotten after the war, and states were left to decide whether or not to keep it. However, this would not be the last of DST.

In the early 1970s, in response to an energy crisis, the U.S. government tried an experiment: they would implement DST all year round for two years and then evaluate the amount of energy they saved to test its effectiveness. The results? “It didn’t work,” admitted David Prerau, an expert on daylight saving. “It became unpopular very quickly” (Davis). Americans disliked changing their clocks and adapting to daily activities in the dark for months. Finding it ineffective at reducing energy consumption, Congress repealed DST in 1974 before the experiment concluded. Fifty years later, daylight saving has remained a key topic of discussion on the Congress floor. In March of 2022, the Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, perpetuating the semi-annual changing of the clocks. This means that there will be more sun in the evening.

So, what does this mean? Well, DST moves the clocks forward by one hour, essentially shifting an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening (springing forward), creating the illusion of more sun in the evening. Supposedly, this “extra” sunlight leads to more time spent outside during warmer months when people are more active, saving on electricity. The scientific explanation for daylight saving involves the Earth’s orbit around the sun. More specifically, the Earth’s axis is tilted at a 23.4-degree angle relative to its path around the sun, causing it to rise and set at different times throughout the year. The Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun during the summer, creating longer days and warmer weather, while in the winter, it tilts away from the sun, resulting in shorter days and colder weather.

Although this sounds advantageous at first, sleep researcher Kenneth Wright points out the disadvantages, stating, “If you look at the expert consensus from the scientific societies that focus on sleep, health, and circadian rhythms, all of them agree this is a bad idea…science suggests we should be sticking with standard time, not daylight saving time” (McMillan). This illustrates how DST can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, which is our daily sleep/wake rhythm and closely follows the 24-hour light/dark cycle. Daylight saving’s 1-hour shift interferes with our sleep-wake cycle and can make people feel less alert in the morning and more tired at night. This lack of morning alertness has dangerous consequences: in 2021, 18% of all traffic casualties were caused by drowsy drivers, accounting for nearly 30,000 deaths (Small).

Daylight saving remains a controversial topic. Some argue that DST is ineffective at conserving energy, while others say that extra daylight benefits mental health. All in all, daylight saving time is a fascinating system with a wealth of history behind it, but the relevance of DST today remains debatable.

Works Cited:

Davis, Susan. “Permanent daylight saving time might not be as popular as Congress thinks.” NPR, 19 March 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/03/19/1087280464/the-u-s-tried-permanent-daylight-saving-time-in-the-1970s-then-quickly-rejected-. Accessed 4 November 2024.

Elkins, Kathleen. “Here’s when and why daylight saving time started in the US.” CNBC, 9 March 2019, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/08/when-and-why-daylight-saving-time-started-in-the-us.html. Accessed 4 November 2024.

Harris, William, et al. “What Is the Point of Daylight Saving Time?” Science

HowStuffWorks, 30 October 2023, https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/daylight-saving-time.htm#pt3. Accessed 4 November 2024.

McMillan, Alexx. “The History of Daylight Saving Time

Alumni Association.” University of Colorado Boulder, 7 November 2022, https://www.colorado.edu/coloradan/2022/11/07/history-daylight-saving-time. Accessed 4 November 2024.

Small, Angela. “Drowsy Driving: The Silent Killer on the Road.” WKGC-FM Public Radio, 4 March 2024, https://www.wkgc.org/2024/03/04/drowsy-driving-the-silent-killer-on-the-road/. Accessed 4 November 2024.