Daylight Savings Time Ends in November, but Why Do We Have It in Texas?
Three cheers for Daylight Savings!... Okay, I know some people are not HUGE fans of losing an hour every year. In fact, there were so many Texans up in arms about it that the Texas House sought to ban the seasonal time change altogether, but more on that later.
Why Do We Have Daylight Savings Time?
Although Texas has observed Daylight Saving Time since April of 1970, the origin goes back much further than that.
You see, back in 1784, a man named Benjamin Franklin (you've probably never heard of him) decided that we should all 'strike while the iron's hot', so to say, and take advantage of daylight to conserve candle wax.
According to the John Hopkins School of Public Health, times are a changin'. It turns out that energy is not as hard to come by as it was 240 years ago, and we may not actually need an entire day for conservation.
Well, what about the positive effect on your body of feeling more refreshed from "getting an extra hour of sleep"? Well, that might ALSO be over-exaggerated.
John Hopkins included that, although our circadian rhythm (our internal body clocks) is tied mostly with sunshine, having an extra hour of sunlight before bed could actually reduce the amount of sleep we get at night. This overall less sleep can lead to more health risks as well... but we won't mention those here...
Also, don't forget that the Texas House has attempted to permanently stay on Daylight Savings Time with HB 1422, calling it "antiquated" and "frustrating", according to the Texas Tribune.
When is Daylight Savings Time This Year?
Technically, we're in DST right now, since we lost an hour on March 10th, but we'll gain an hour back at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3rd.
Enjoy the extra time in bed! Don't think about the existential dread of damaging your circadian rhythm with irreversible health effects 👍.
Stunning Sunrises and Sunsets in West Texas
Gallery Credit: Chad Hasty
Mexican Cartels in the Lone Star State
Gallery Credit: Sarah Clark