Economist Writing Every Day

In the United States, most people just turned their clocks back one hour for the end of Daylight Saving Time. This annual ritual happens in fall when we “gain” an extra hour of sleep but also notice that the sun starts setting earlier in the evening.

For many of us, we get, once again, bright daylight at least 30 minutes before the kids are due at school. In most parts of the country, that means sunrise is now somewhere between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. This helps families who are trying to get moving, find shoes, and make breakfast before the first bell rings. The morning light makes it feel to kids like the day is starting as opposed to Mom trying to “make them get up.”

Although every child and schedule is different, sunlight helps parents navigate the morning with their dependents.

I hear people complain every year that they can’t hang out with friends in the daylight after work once the clocks change. I understand that. It’s not easy to balance all these competing needs. If I were only in charge of myself, I could imagine getting up in total darkness and finishing work with a couple of hours of daylight left to enjoy. I think I could handle that just fine. But as a society, with kids, parents, teachers, bus drivers, and caregivers all trying to operate on a shared schedule, it seems reasonable to prioritize morning light. That’s when the essential stuff happens. If it helps parents, consider keeping it.

A last note for parents: If this system is going to work, turn off devices and screens at some reasonable time such as before 8:30pm. Otherwise, the world practically turning on its axis to help you (okay, I’m exaggerating) won’t do much good. The blue light from phones, tablets, and televisions suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps us fall asleep, and tricks the brain into thinking it’s still daytime. As a bonus, if you were hoping your kid would read more, they might read before bed if it’s the only thing they are allowed to do. Reading a paper book with a normal light does not mess up the sleep schedule so much.

The brilliant thing about reading to kids who are in bed is that, if they aren’t paying attention, you can turn out the light and tell them they are going to sleep 5 minutes early.  This works best if it’s pitch-black dark outside at bedtime. Stop scrolling and go to sleep (if you are reading this after dark).

Some people deal with different circumstances close to the poles like seasonal depression. I have no advice about that, although the technology of sun-mimicking lamps is available. Maybe that’s why Americans are moving to the sun belt with air conditioning.

Interesting discussion and map on Twitter/X here https://x.com/benryanwriter/status/1985382840167457110?s=46