As spring nears, longer and sunnier days are ahead — until next November, of course.
Thanks to provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Daylight Saving Time commences on March 12 of this year. As our clocks perform their annual "spring ahead" dance in a majority of the U.S. (Arizona and Hawaii don't participate), most people look forward to livelier, and sunnier, evenings. For many, strolling outside under the sun at nearly 9pm is a hallmark of summer. The extra hour of daylight is so popular, there's even been a proposed legislation — the Sunshine Protection Act — to savor it permanently throughout the year, which an estimated 59 percent of Americans support. As DST is upon us, and yet another opportunity to make it permanent looms, sleep scientists are speaking out against the possibility as research suggests that the negative effects of DST on our collective health outweigh the benefits of longer daylight hours.
