What adopting daylight saving time could mean - WEAU

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EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) -As we continue to adjust after springing our clocks forward, a bill is working its way through Congress to make the change to daylight saving time permanent.

Earlier this month the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 was introduced in the U.S. Senate.

A few days later it passed unanimously.

As we look at daylight saving time possibly becoming the standard time, let’s look at what impact that could have.

“We do need enough light exposure,” said Kelly Schmidt, a Sleep Disorders Center Facilitator with HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital. “I don’t know there’s a specific amount of time, but obviously during winter hours we get less light exposure than normal and anything less than eight hours usually affects our sleep.”

Changes in how much sunlight we get between seasons can impact how we feel.

“That is why we have the issues during the winter, and we feel less motivated and more tired because we’re not getting the light exposure we normally do,” Schmidt said.

Whenever the clocks change, Schmidt works with her patients at the Sleep Disorders Center to prepare.

“Say their bedtime is 11 p.m.,” Schmidt said. “Wednesday they’d go to bed at 10:45 p.m. Thursday they’d go to bed at 10:30 p.m. Friday they’d go to bed at 10:15 p.m. and then on Saturday they’d go to bed at 10 p.m. which technically the next day would be 11 o’clock, so that’s how we work into that.”

Schmidt said since many people already don’t get the amount of sleep they need, moving the clocks forward tends to make a bigger impact.

She said the day after daylight saving, there’s more heart attacks, car crashes and work accidents.

As the push to adopt daylight saving time year-round gains traction, Schmidt said:

“Whatever they choose is going to work. We’ll just get into another routine, but yes, losing the hour of sleep definitely affects health, so I’m sure they do just want to pick one and stick with it.”

Part of that new routine could impact schools.

If the time change becomes permanent, Teri Piper Thompson the communications manager with Eau Claire Area School District said it would gather students, staff and partners to study the time change.

“First of all, how would this change impact our students and our families and our staff and really our community, and then what changes we might have to make to adapt if needed,” Piper Thompson said.

For now schools and our sleep schedules will continue on as usual: springing ahead and falling back once a year.

Before the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 can become law, it still has to pass in the house and get signed by President Biden.

As it is written, daylight saving time would become permanent in November 2023.

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What adopting daylight saving time could mean - WEAU
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