I used to be a die-hard DST supporter. I thought we should extend DST all year (we spend eight months in DST, why not add the other four!?) I also LOATHED falling back when I had young kids, which sucked because falling back should be so much better than springing forward!
My thinking on this has done a complete 180. Now I wish we spent all year in standard time. I sleep much better when it gets darker earlier. It’s also easier to get up when it’s not dark outside, although I don’t really mind driving to work in the dark. (Evidently, science confirms that standard time syncs up with our circadian rhythms a lot better than DST does.)
Now that I have older kids, I LOVE falling back in November again. All day I look at my watch delighted that it’s actually an hour earlier than I expect it to be.
I try to milk the “your body thinks it’s later than it is” for all it’s worth in the weeks after the time change. I work really hard to get my ass into bed by 10pm and to fall asleep by 11pm at the latest.
I HATE springing forward in March. It’s just the worst. So I really try hard to revel in the weeks after falling back, because I know how much it will suck to spring forward in four short months.
Do you prefer Daylight Savings Time or Standard Time? Do you wish we stayed in one, or do you think the lighter evenings of the summer are worth the horror that is springing forward in March?
Preach! I used to like DST also, and was fond of the evening sunlight. Now? Like you, I would rather have it in the morning, and would be miserable if the sun didn’t come up until 9:00. I remember reading somewhere that we did a trial of staying on DST all year, and people HATED how dark it was in the mornings, so we went back to switching twice a year like idiots.
Like you, I would rather we just stick with standard time all year. I do enjoy the light in the evenings of summer, but we will get there anyway, why put ourselves through this twice a year? DUMB.
I slightly prefer standard time. However, since my kids are still little (2 and 6), I think I’d accept either one as long as I didn’t have to keep switching up the schedule and having to adjust bedtimes and just generally feeling like the day is extra long. Then again, give me 5-10 years and maybe I’ll feel the same way as you!
I think the answer to this will differ based on what part of the country you live in… As a Northerner, I hate falling back because it gets dark extra early the further north you are. So the sun will set at 4:52 here today, and it will just get worse as we approach solstice. And then add in its impact to my kids sleep and I just hate the whole endeavor! This year they fared better than me, though, but that’s because we messed with their bedtimes for the 7 days leading up to falling back (pushed them back by 10 minutes each night). Instead of an extra hour of sleep, I had an extra hour of insomnia. FUN!! 😛
Oh yeah, that is some early darkness. Today it was dark here around 5:45 and that felt so early! I went for what will probably be my last post-work run for the year and it was cold by the end of it. I guess there is no good answer…
I’m exactly the same, I prefer falling back now, but either forward or back the time change always destroys me for the first week or two.
I think I’m the only person in the world who loves the time change, both ways. Maybe because we barely have seasons where I live, the time change is a reminder that time is moving forward and there are things to anticipate. If I had to choose one, I think I would also choose standard time (especially now that my kids are no longer young).
totally agree it all flipped – i used to sort of like spring forward bc my kids would get up ‘later’ (i mean, like 7 instead of 6?) for a hot minute. but now fall back is much preferable and i also wish the lighting would stay the way it is!!!!
Prefer STANDARD. Always have always will. DLS is not a help in any way for me. Changing is simply the worse…. and cows/pets/other domesticated animals/babies dislike it.
I hate the change in March. Everyone is so tired, but especially my students lol they are just dead.
AND, we have state testing the day after time change in March. Just… bruh
Testing after springing forward?! Noooooo! And, WHY?!?!?!
I don’t have a preference. I think it’s all dumb. I think it’s dumb that it’s so dark all winter long. Basically, I have a beef with the design of the solar system. That’s all.
Fair. I share your beef with the solar system. At least we don’t live in the Arctic Circle?
I hate having to change the time. And springing forward is the worst. Now that we are back into standard time, I wish we could just keep it all year and deal with the darkness when it’s here.
I’ve read really interesting articles about how your thought on this is VERY dependent upon how far north/south and east/west you are in each time zone, because how long it’s dark in the morning and how early it’s dark at night very drastically.
This cartographer agrees that for your area abolishing DST makes the most sense, but it’s not true for everyone!
I’d rather have DST year round. My circadian rhythm ha always been shifted later, so it works much better for me. Also, I don’t mind dark mornings – I’d way rather have light after work/school!
https://observablehq.com/@awoodruff/daylight-saving-time-gripe-assistant-tool
I think I am one of the few people who are mostly indifferent about DST but I also don’t have kids (or pets) whose rhythms are more easily interrupted. I think I would prefer to stick to one time all year, but it is what it is.
I don’t think I have a preference, I just don’t like the changes. It gets darker or lighter naturally, so the one hour really doesn’t do that much. Just pick one or the other!
I despise changing the clocks and would be happy to stick with one or the other. But if I really had my preference, I’d go with standard time. I don’t know why it feels more natural to me.
I’m totally with you- if we have to choose, stay in standard time. I hate turning the clocks ahead in spring, but I love turning the clocks back so much that I’ll put up with the spring forward. This of course is only now that my kids are older- when my kids were young I was furious over the whole thing.