As we transition into March, one of the biggest controversies of the month is the one Sunday we lose an hour of sleep. No one likes losing an hour of sleep on one of the few days we get off in the long month of March. So, is losing an hour of sleep to get an extra hour of sunlight really worth it? I would say no.

Daylight Savings time started in the United States (and Europe) in 1918 and was implemented by Congress in the Standard Time act of 1918. The main reason for the time switch to start was during World War I, and was to save fuel and power. This could be so fighting during the Spring and Fall wouldn’t stop too early during the day. This kept in place for World War II also. However, a study in 1945 showed that only 17% of the population voted for the difference in time. After all, it held on, and in 1974, a law was signed to keep Daylight Savings time. But is it still necessary today?

With the time shift, the biggest positive is obviously the extra hour of sunlight we get at night. But is it really worth it? The biggest problem is the hour of sunlight we lose in the morning. During the month of March, the average sunrise time in New Jersey is 7:05 AM.

Waking up earlier than this, it is really hard to wake up in the darkness, as our minds aren’t awake yet; especially to do hours of school work. It sets a bad tone for the start of the day and takes longer to really be woken up. To avoid this for not only students but everyone around the planet affected by the time switch, I may have a solution.

Make the time change later in the year. By possibly switching to Daylight Savings time during April and maybe even May, everyone can wake up with great sunlight, while having sunlight much longer at night. For example, on April 1st, if there were no time switch by this date, the time of daylight would be 5:40AM-6:21 PM. With the time shift being on this date, it could make the time 6:40 AM-7:21PM; which makes a huge difference. This makes sure everyone is woken up to sunlight, while being able to be outside in light more. Changing the date of the start of Daylight’s Savings would be super valuable while creating an easier time switch and making days more enjoyable.