It’s time to reset the clocks once again

[MichaelB]

It seems like only a year since the last time we lost an hour, yet here are find ourselves once again. Some may say it was not a loss, we got it back 8 months later, and technically that may be true. One never knows, however, when we will give it up and never get it back.

Maybe, instead of changing the time, we should do away with clocks.

Just a friendly reminder, Daylight Saving Time is tonight, and most members will need to reset their clocks one hour ahead tonight or tomorrow morning.

 

[ERD50]

Hopefully, this is the last time we make any seasonal hour changes. Congress still needs to pass the bill:

https://www.king5.com/article/news/...tand/507-fbbfb766-d00b-4f59-92f4-cf6595db40df

For the past few years, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has introduced a version of what he calls the "Sunshine Protection Act" which would permanently establish daylight saving time for the whole country.

Although it passed the Senate in 2022, the bill never got a vote in the House of Representatives and died there before that session of Congress ended. Rubio is hoping the Republican-led House this year could give his bill some momentum.

-ERD50

 

[OldShooter]

Beyond being a minor annoyance, DST on or off doesn't matter much to me. The arguments I have seen (but not really studied) seem pretty trivial.

 

[ERD50]

Beyond being a minor annoyance, DST on or off doesn't matter much to me. The arguments I have seen (but not really studied) seem pretty trivial.

I recall that studies showed an increase in traffic accidents and other problems. Kinda makes sense, everything is thrown off an hour, some people are late for work, maybe a bit more tired than usual, etc.

Those aren't trivial, and the idea behind the change is so silly, it makes no sense to continue it.

-ERD50

 

[braumeister]

If you have ever done overnight shift w*rk that coincided with the fall time change you would definitely be annoyed with it! Springtime not so much.

 

[6miths]

It seemed I always managed to get that overnight shift in the fall. And I recall one time that I didn't I wound up turning up an hour early for my Sunday morning shift. Couldn't win for losing!

DS just moved to one of the few parts of the country that doesn't change it's clocks.

 

[Turbo29]

Not here in Arizona. Only thing that happens is that direct deposits go into my account an hour earlier (because the rest of the country changed) and the stock market closes an hour earlier.

 

[Samsung4321]

Aus:

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2am on the first Sunday in October, when clocks are put forward one hour. It ends at 2am (which is 3am Daylight Saving Time) on the first Sunday in April, when clocks are put back one hour.
https://www.australia.gov.au/time-zones-and-daylight-saving
https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/australia

USA:

Daylight Saving Time (DST) in most of the United States starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/usa

6 months duration in both but Aus starts in October, USA starts in March, roughly 5 months later.

Perihelion 5 January 2023 147,098,925 km; Aphelion 7 July 2023 152,093,251 km.
Earth receives 1 / (147098925 / 152093251) ^ 2 - 1 = 6.9% more sunlight at mid Southern summer.
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/perihelion-aphelion-solstice.html

The difference appears to be eagerness to see Winter over in USA.

 

[GenXguy]

I recall that studies showed an increase in traffic accidents and other problems. Kinda makes sense, everything is thrown off an hour, some people are late for work, maybe a bit more tired than usual, etc.

Those aren't trivial, and the idea behind the change is so silly, it makes no sense to continue it.

-ERD50

I think they should continue it, but full time, never going back to standard time. I prefer more daylight after I get off work.

What I always laugh at is the notion that people are "losing" an hour of sleep. When I was able to sleep like most people, I simply went to bed an hour earlier by the clock so I never lost an hour of sleep. Of course, today, I'm losing more like 10 to 15 hours sleep per week for different reasons. So by comparison, losing just 1 hour on occasion would be absolutely wonderful.

 

[Samsung4321]

I'm losing more like 10 to 15 hours sleep per week for different reasons.

All times of year, wake before dawn, walk outside for > 30 minutes as sun rises. Unusual if circadian cycle does not synchronise.

 

[GenXguy]

All times of year, wake before dawn, walk outside for > 30 minutes as sun rises. Unusual if circadian cycle does not synchronise.

LOL. That's not the issue. But I've discussed this in other threads.

 

[Samsung4321]

LOL. That's not the issue. But I've discussed this in other threads.

https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/tinnitus-help-116779-5.html#post2900920

Have you synchronised circadian cycle to day cycle to test if any effect?
https://www.google.com/search?q=circadian+tinnitus

Seasonal Affective Disorder is related to daylight hours; daylight saving changing routine times relative to solar time affects plenty of people. For others just very mild 'jet lag'.

 

[Piper20]

Congress can’t decide if DST or ST is the best. So my bet is nothing happens. Millions of Emerson auto set clocks going to the landfill including mine if they make a decision to keep DST.

Doesn’t bother me either way.

 

[MarieIG]

. . .

Maybe, instead of changing the time, we should do away with clocks.

I must respectfully disagree. As a retired person, when I wake up early and peek at the clock, I really really relish not having to get up and go outside in bad weather for an onerous morning commute!

 

[GenXguy]

https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/tinnitus-help-116779-5.html#post2900920

Have you synchronised circadian cycle to day cycle to test if any effect?
https://www.google.com/search?q=circadian+tinnitus

Seasonal Affective Disorder is related to daylight hours; daylight saving changing routine times relative to solar time affects plenty of people. For others just very mild 'jet lag'.

This is not a seasonal thing with me. I've done hundreds of hours of research and read large amounts of feedback from people posting on insomnia forums and other forums including this one heavily over the last year+. Nothing helps enough to get sufficient sleep because it's not any of those usual causes. Anyway, off-topic, no reason to turn this thread into something off-topic discussed in hundreds of others on the interwebs.

Also, be leery of a lot of stuff you see with a single google search or in a "study" because I've seen plenty of things that don't apply to me or match my experience. But after countless hours of reading/research, you can weed out what doesn't apply.

Edit: There are some medications that I haven't tried because a doctor hasn't prescribed them, and in some cases my not be paid for with health coverage, such as a newer class of meds called dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) with no generics. But again, that's getting off-topic.

 

[GenXguy]

Congress can’t decide if DST or ST is the best. So my bet is nothing happens. Millions of Emerson auto set clocks going to the landfill including mine if they make a decision to keep DST.

Doesn’t bother me either way.

LOL I have one of those Emerson clocks. In fact, I had a different one quite a few years back I already had to get rid of when they updated the dates for DST back in 2007 (I actually think I still have it somewhere in storage).

After I retire, it won't matter as much to me if it's ST or DST but still would prefer DST.

 

[Samsung4321]

off-topic

If the topic is strictly notification of change to daylight saving.

Not if topic is effects of commencement of daylight saving.

be leery of a lot of stuff you see with a single google search

Which I take to mean look for reproducible evidence of effects. Scientific work stars with a 'hunch', formulates a testable hypothesis, collects evidence which can test it. With complex systems like bodies, one individuals response might be quite different to the average and what can be scientifically shown to applies to most might not apply to all.

 

[SJhawkins]

This seems like something so simple that it should take no more than week to get voted thru to stop the madness.

I forget who said it but it went something like we have far to many others things to get done that we don't have time for this bill. In my little brain it seems rather simple, but what do I know.

 

[GenXguy]

If the topic is strictly notification of change to daylight saving.

Not if topic is effects of commencement of daylight saving.

Yeah, my year+ consistent lack of sleep is unrelated to DST. As far as DST itself through my lifetime, that was an easy issue to address by going to bed early. And even if they don't, it's hard to feel sorry for someone losing an hour of sleep occasionally. I would take that trade any day of the week and twice on Sunday. lol

 

[CaptTom]

It never fails to amaze me now many people whine about this. No surprise the politicians take up the cry, but never do anything. I mean, if they did, then there would be one less non-issue they could bandstand about.

Personally, I don't care what is decided, I just wish I didn't have to keep hearing about it. Living in the Northeast, there are good reasons for switching back and forth. Down South, not so much. I get that. But really, there are bigger things to worry about. I don't let this silliness distract me.

 

[RobbieB]

Besides, when you're retired it doesn't mean jack except for resetting the clocks.

Stuff that was important when you were working is not after retirement -

 

[OldShooter]

It never fails to amaze me now many people whine about this. No surprise the politicians take up the cry, but never do anything. I mean, if they did, then there would be one less non-issue they could bandstand about.

Personally, I don't care what is decided, I just wish I didn't have to keep hearing about it. Living in the Northeast, there are good reasons for switching back and forth. Down South, not so much. I get that. But really, there are bigger things to worry about. I don't let this silliness distract me.

+100

 

[yhoomajor]

It never fails to amaze me how many people believe they are saving Day light by moving clocks back & forth

And hold your horses. I said "many", not all.

 

[audreyh1]

We pretty much live by sunrise and sunset anyway*, so the daylight savings time switch doesn’t make much difference to us. It’s only the clocks that have to change, not our daily schedules.

*yes, we get up earlier in the summer and later in the winter.

 

[kgtest]

I think keeping the DLS is a good idea for safety reasons. We have small children and they would be spending more time at the bus stop in the dark without DLS. The neighbors have complained that its too dark when the kids are walking on the street to the bus for part of the year. I agree. The more daylight hours we have while people are driving around, the better. People are NOT good driver's in the dark.