Every fall, clocks “fall back” one hour as a part of the Daylight Savings ritual. For many, this means an extra hour of sleep and waking up feeling more refreshed. Despite the glorified extra hour, the number of daylight hours shorten as fall transitions into winter, often affecting students’ aptitude in classrooms.
Most students have worked themselves to the maximum, pulling all-nighters with energy drinks and grinding out as much studying and work as possible, neglecting sleep entirely. For these “night owls,” the extra hour of sleep from falling back during Daylight Savings may create a “cloud nine” sensation, allowing such individuals to wake up increasingly refreshed, especially with early mornings becoming brighter. Junior Lily DiMaio expressed, “Personally, as someone who is a ‘night owl,’ the extra hour of sleep has made my Sunday so much better. The extra hour of sleep had me feeling extra awake and ready for my day filled with lacrosse practices and homework.”
After adjusting sleep schedules and acclimating to the time change, the earlier dark evenings grab the attention of many, including students who feel its effects deeply. While the brighter mornings and potential better sleep may seem euphoric, the 5 PM sunsets do not feel like the norm for many. Additionally, 7 PM pitch-black nights impact students’ ability to perform the best they can academically. According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, “The lack of daylight exposure in the late afternoons and evenings can contribute to feelings of sadness, lethargy, and difficulty concentrating.” This is otherwise known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Adults and teenagers alike may feel an increase in symptoms of depression because of fewer daylight hours. Due to these effects, teachers may notice a decline in student grades and motivation.
To further support students adapting to the changes in weather and time, The Almanac, a newspaper, made the following suggestion: “Avoid electronics near bedtime, eat at the same time or even eat a little early, get exposure to morning sunlight, try using a light therapy box or an alarm light that brightens as you wakeup, and get natural sunlight to cue your body and help retain your inner clock.”
