Why Do We Have Daylight’s Savings Time?

We are all familiar with daylight’s savings time.  Those two times a year when the clocks change and disrupt our sleep patterns and force us to reorganize our circadian rhythms.  What is the reason for this change, and why do we observe daylight savings time?  Is there a reason that we have to do this, and are there any benefits?

In truth, daylight’s savings time offers a number of benefits.  When first enacted, it was designed to help people find more time to be outdoors during the summer sun hours.  It has since proven to offer many benefits throughout history.  For example it offers more leisure and outdoor exercise time for people on fixed work schedules, helps save significantly on energy costs by offering more time for natural lighting, and even boosts opportunities for sports and shopping after a day of work.

The benefits to daylight’s savings time are not limited to these things, however.  Studies also show that it helps reduce accidents and fatalities.  There are considerably fewer pedestrian fatalities when daylight’s savings is in place, as the prolonged time with sunlight in the afternoon and evening makes it easier for drivers to see.

It can be somewhat surprising to learn about daylight’s savings time.  While not always optimal for farmers, who need light in the early mornings, it has helped the military and energy conservationists considerably.  No matter what you may think of daylight savings time, there is no denying that is has offered the world many benefits for more than one hundred years.