It’s time to sunset Daylight Savings Time

By: Daimler Koch, Online Editor

Alejandro Rafael for the Valley Star

Donald Trump has pledged to accomplish many goals during his second term in office – and believe it or not, I’m rooting for one of them. Among the many other promises he has made is to end the antiquated, exhausting practice of Daylight Savings Time. Its demise is long overdue, and we should switch to Permanent Standard Time to replace the time system we have now.

Daylight Savings Time has a deep-rooted history in the United States. First suggested by Benjamin Franklin as a joke in 1784, it caught on in World War 1 as a way to conserve fuel energy for wartime efforts. The system was temporarily implemented in both world wars, then permanently standardized by Congress in 1966. It has remained mostly the same since. 

In recent years, there have been multiple efforts at the federal and state levels to put an end to the practice of time changing. This makes sense scientifically and practically. Researchers have found that, in the week after Daylight Savings Time is enacted in March, there is an immediate rise in heart attacks, car accidents, strokes, and mental health issues. 55 percent of Americans experience tiredness immediately afterward. Long term effects associated with the practice are linked to depression and weight gain. 

Additionally, while proponents of the time change may bring up that DST helps save fuel energy, official results remain inconclusive at best, and contrarian at worst. 

If America ends time changing nationwide, the country has another decision to make – whether to switch to Permanent Daylight Savings Time, or Permanent Standard Time. While it is unclear which time system Trump wants to switch to, 48 percent of Americans prefer to switch to Permanent Standard Time, while just 24 percent prefer Permanent Daylight Savings Time, according to a 2025 Gallup poll. 

Sleep experts side with Permanent Standard Time. Standard Time is the time system the country is under from November to March. This system best aligns with humans’ circadian rhythm – the internal clock that governs important functions like eating and sleeping and is set by the rising and setting of the sun. If the circadian rhythm is followed, one will experience quality sleep and thus a healthier life overall. If the circadian rhythm is consistently disrupted, one will experience insomnia, cardiovascular issues, and depression – many of the same short-term effects seen as a result of the switch to Daylight Savings Time in March.

 If America makes DST permanent, Americans will live misaligned with their circadian rhythm. The aforementioned short-term health effects will effectively be codified year-round. Traffic accidents will increase, and commuting to work in the morning will become more dangerous, if not simply unpleasant. Many cities will not see sunlight for the majority of the morning during winter; Los Angeles would not see sunlight in January until almost 8 a.m. 

Moreover, because of the aforementioned dubiousness of DST’s effect on energy savings, there is no practical reason to implement it permanently at all.

Instead, because of the health and safety benefits Permanent Standard Time would naturally provide, we should switch to that system instead, and hopefully, sooner rather than later, wake up to a brighter tomorrow.