It’s February, and after a long, hard day of work I’d like to just come home and go on a walk. By the time an average person gets home from work during this time, it is already dark and the sun is setting. Daylight savings (DST) has been going on for years, and it is time to put a stop to it.

DST is from March to November where all of America decided to move their clocks forward during the spring and backwards during the upcoming winter. Health issues have been arising because of this change to daily routines.

For example, humans go through what is called Circadian rhythm: the body’s natural 24-hour biological cycles, including the sleep-wake cycle that regulates the timing of sleep at night and wakefulness during the day. Although it just seems like an hour’s sleep difference, the body’s natural sleep cycle can malfunction because your “internal clock” in your brain is messed up due to the morning and evening lights being adjusted.

The DST change is having a significant impact on high school students. Teams practice in the mornings in order to fit everyone in the gym and prepare for the next winter sports season. After the time change, students reported feeling sleepier, having slower reaction times, and having trouble focusing throughout class.

Not having enough sleep in the day can also cause physical problems such as a 6% increase in car crashes and an 11% increase in national mental health cognitive issues, and can overall lead to depression, slowed metabolism and weight gain.

Although, energy can be conserved by observing daylight saving time. The need for electricity for household lighting and appliances is lessened in the evenings because the sun sets one hour later. In the morning, since most individuals awaken after the sun has risen, the same rule applies.

DST is not just an extra hour or loss of an hour of sleep twice a year, it is damaging and causes too many problems for it to continue year after year. Daylight savings must be put to sleep.