Kentucky lawmakers are considering exempting the state from daylight saving time. But the feelings are clearly mixed — people love it or they hate it. The idea is often considered to have originated in a 1784 essay by Ben Franklin in which he suggested Europeans should take more advantage of morning sunlight, though Franklin did not specifically propose daylight saving time. The practice of moving the clock forward was first undertaken in the U.S. during World War I, but it did not become federal law until 1966.
Today, the impact of daylight saving time on our health is raising concerns.
Experts at Johns Hopkins say moving the clocks forward upsets our circadian rhythms, that depend on natural light exposure.
"These kinds of sleep deficiencies can lead to diabetes and obesity, metabolic disorders, as well as [affecting] brain health," said Dr. Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Cleveland Clinic.
The shift is especially hard on children.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests gradually shifting sleep and wake times for a few days before the change, heading out for early morning sunlight on Sunday, then trying to get plenty of sleep Sunday night.
Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10.
Why do we have daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time dates back a century, but the reason we do it is often misconstrued. Here are the real reasons.
