EDITORIAL | It's time to stop changing clocks

The bill proposes making daylight saving time permanent, forever ending the disruption to our schedules and our circadian rhythms.

The measure passed by unanimous consent. No senators opposed it, and apparently some audibly cheered.

We’re cheering right along with them.

This practice, established in 1918, has nebulous origins — maybe something to do with farmers or Ben Franklin? — at best. And the current justification… no one can seem to put their finger on it.

Continuing a practice because we’ve long done it that way is silly. It’s time to take a hard look at daylight saving time to determine whether there’s any benefit at all to our society.

Here are some of the drawbacks:

1. Changing sleep patterns, even by an hour, disrupts natural circadian rhythms and is bad for your health. Studies have found increases in things like heart attacks and cluster headaches in the days immediately following the “spring forward” time change. The sleep problems are especially difficult for children (and their parents).

2. Daylight saving time decreases productivity; everyone’s a little extra sleepy after the shift.

3. Changing clocks is expensive. A Utah State University economist said it costs Americans $1.7 billion in opportunity costs — just from the time actually spent changing clocks. Lost time from confused time schedules also costs money overall.

We know there are pros to DST, too, but we don’t think they outweigh the cons.

We hope that when the House considers the bill, it will pass so we can do away with this nonsensical time travel.