Daylight saving time. Every Californian has heard of this time. Most people know it as the reason we lose an hour of sleep every spring, and gain an extra hour of sleep every fall. This year, daylight saving time will come to an end on November 5th, which is good news for anyone looking to catch up on their sleep schedule.
The idea behind daylight saving time is to increase a person’s productivity by getting them to wake earlier. By starting their day an hour earlier, a person is taking advantage of the natural morning sunlight. They get moving and get to work sooner, meaning they will be able to leave sooner. This allows them to have more daylight hours at the end of their normal workday to do whatever they want.
Daylight saving time can be very advantageous for people who live in areas where the amount of daily light changes slightly throughout the course of the year. However, it is not helpful everywhere. For instance, daylight saving time is not very useful for countries along the equator, since their daylight hours barely change over the course of the year. On the opposite side of things, daylight saving time is also not very beneficial for countries too far north or south, since their amounts of daily light change so drastically over the course of the year that getting up an hour earlier does not make much of a difference.
Of course, with just about every idea out there, some people agree with the practice of daylight saving time, and others do not. Supporters of daylight saving time argue that it helps reduce energy usage, and can produce more business for many companies. However, some people argue that it does not affect energy usage, and that while the time change can benefit some businesses, it can harm others. Farmers for instance, function more around solar time, instead of a standard clock time. Unfortunately for both sides of the argument, no one can come up with any concrete evidence to support one claim or the other
No matter where you stand with daylight saving time, so long as you live in California, it is a part of your life. While the time change can be jarring at first, it can also be very beneficial. It is very nice to be able to rise with sun, get your work accomplished, and still have time to go out and have fun after work.