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The Importance Of Daylight Saving Time

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Many factors affect the amount of sleep an individual gets: work, school, and even a common government implemented policy generally known as Daylight Saving time. As Atkinson, Ebben, Medina & Mildred (2015) observed, “Daylight saving time (DST) has been commonly used in the developed world, first trialed in the United States in 1918 as a temporary wartime measure to save energy expenditure, and formally implemented several decades later through the Uniform Time Act of 1966” (Introduction section, para. 1). Originally proposed by George Watson, Daylight Saving time was created to extend daylight hours. The policy doesn’t actually extend daylight, it merely gives the impression of a longer day during the spring and summer months. Obviously, extending daylight by advancing the clock is impossible and thus Daylight Saving time is unnatural and demanding. Atkinson et al (2015) confirm, “following the DST advance of clock-time in March, an effective loss of one hour of sleep takes place during the night and this transition might result in sleep deprivation” (Introduction section, para. 2). America should ban Daylight Saving time because the consequent sleep deprivation raises the risk of health and safety concerns, compromises productivity, and DST is not an effective strategy for conserving energy. Contrary to the notion that sleep corresponds with laziness, the consequences of sleep deficiency are undeniable. Research indicates that, “sleep is a period of heavy physiological

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