The Pros and Cons of Daylight Saving Time

(Missourinet) It’s time to “fall back” tonight (Saturday) or early tomorrow morning in Missouri.

Daylight Saving Time is used to save energy and make better use of daylight, but it can be a divisive issue.

“Missouri lawmakers have, and still lobby to end falling back and springing forth.  According to the Nonpartisan website procon.org, on the pro side of ending Daylight Saving Time: longer daylight hours make driving safer, lowers car crash rates, and lowers the chances of being hit by a car.  It’s also good for the economy as later daylight means more people shopping after work.
On the con side of the argument, changing sleep patterns, even by one hour, goes against a person’s natural circadian rhythms leading to negative health consequences. This Monday is called “Sleepy Monday,” because it is one of the most sleep-deprived days of the year. The week after the DST time change, there’s usually an increase in employees wasting time on the internet…also called “cyber-loafing.”

Daylight Saving Time is now used in over 70 countries worldwide and affects more than a billion people every year.