Debating daylight saving: Alabama Sen. Tuberville once again pushing for permanent time change

20TH. WELL, THIS WEEKEND IT’S TIME TO SPRING FORWARD. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IS BACK. �� 13 ACRES. SCOTT CARPENTER WALKS US THROUGH WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO MAKE THE TIME CHANGE PERMANENT, AND THE IMPACT IT HAS ON YOUR SLEEP CYCLE. THE WEEKEND IS NEVER LONG ENOUGH, AND THIS WEEKEND IS ONE HOUR SHORTER THAN THE REST OF THEM. WE SPRING THE CLOCKS FORWARD SUNDAY MORNING. THE 2:00 HOUR JUST VANISHES FROM EXISTENCE. NOW THIS ACTUALLY HAS THE ATTENTION OF CONGRESS. A FEW YEARS AGO, THE U.S. SENATE PASSED THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT. IT AIMED TO DITCH THE BIANNUAL CHANGE OF OUR CLOCKS BY PERMANENTLY ADOPTING THE SPRING FORWARD TIME. WE’RE ABOUT TO ENTER. HOWEVER, IT DIED IN THE HOUSE BECAUSE THEY NEVER VOTED ON IT. ALABAMA SENATOR TOMMY TUBERVILLE IS MAKING ANOTHER PUSH TO MAKE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME PERMANENT. I’M WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE THIS LAST. THE LAST TIME WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR CLOCKS. THE REINTRODUCED SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT HAS NOT MADE ANY SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS, AND AMERICA HAS ADOPTED PERMANENT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEFORE. IN 1974, THE U.S. DID IT YEAR ROUND. IT WAS A WAY TO CONSERVE ENERGY DURING THE OIL CRISIS, BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE WILDLY UNPOPULAR. POLLS SHOWED ABOUT 80% OF PEOPLE WERE IN FAVOR OF THE MOVE UNTIL IT PLAYED OUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM. THE SUN NOT COMING UP UNTIL WELL AFTER 8 A.M., LEFT PARENTS CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR KIDS WAITING AT THE BUS STOP IN THE PITCH DARK, AND EVERYBODY MADE THEIR WAY TO WORK AND SCHOOL IN THE COVER OF DARKNESS. SUPPORT FOR PERMANENT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME FELL THROUGH THE FLOOR, DROPPING TO 30% IN A WASHINGTON POST POLL, I ASKED SENATOR TUBERVILLE IF HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PLAYING OUT AGAIN. HE DID NOT GET BACK TO ME, SO WHO KNOWS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL DO WHEN IT COMES TO CHANGING OUR CLOCKS. BUT THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO HELP ADJUST TO THIS TIME CHANGE. I SPOKE WITH NEIL DANIEL, A DOCTOR AT UAB SAINT VINCENT’S SPECIALIZING IN SLEEP CARE. BASICALLY CAUSES A BIG CIRCADIAN RHYTHM ISSUE FOR FOR EVERYBODY. AND IT’S NOT JUST THE LOSS OF SLEEP. IT’S ACTUALLY THE GETTING UP AN HOUR EARLIER THAT IS SO DIFFICULT FOR YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. IS YOUR NATURAL 24 HOUR BODY CLOCK. SO LOSING AN HOUR CAN REALLY THROW THINGS OFF. EVEN IF YOU DO GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND WAKING UP IN THE DARK ALSO THROWS OFF YOUR BODY CLOCK. BUT DOCTOR DANIEL SAYS IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO CONSISTENCY. THERE’S NO MAGIC BULLET FOR IT. IT’S JUST IT’S PAINFUL FOR EVERYBODY, NO MATTER HOW YOU DO IT. AND SLOW IS BETTER. BUT I THINK THAT ROUTINE WAKE TIME THROUGHOUT THE WEEK IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE. BUT THERE’S THERE’S UNFORTUNATELY NO NO SECRET SAUCE FOR THIS. WAKE UP AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY. HE ALSO ADVISES EVERYBODY TO STOP HITTING THE SNOOZE BUTTON. DOCTOR DANIEL SAYS ALL THAT DOES IS DISRUPT YOUR DEEPEST SLEEP OF THE NIGHT. HE SAYS TO SET THE ALARM FOR THE TIME YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO BE UP AND HIT T

Americans will lose an hour of sleep this weekend as clocks spring forward for daylight saving time on Sunday morning, reviving a decades-old debate in Washington.The U.S. Senate passed the 'Sunshine Protection Act' a few years ago, aiming to make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate the bi-annual clock changes. However, the bill died in the House as it never came to a vote.Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a longtime proponent of the act, is once again reintroducing it."I'm working very hard to make sure this is the last time we have to change our clocks," Tuberville said. In 1974, the U.S. adopted permanent daylight saving time to conserve energy during the oil crisis.Initially, about 80 percent of people supported the move, but it quickly became unpopular.Parents were concerned about their children waiting for the bus in the dark, and many people had to commute to work and school before sunrise.Support for permanent daylight saving time plummeted to 30 percent, according to a Washington Post poll.Senator Tuberville did not respond to questions about whether he was concerned about a repeat of the 1974 scenario.Dr. Neal Daniel, a sleep specialist at UAB St. Vincent's, emphasizes the importance of sleep consistency in adjusting to changes in time."It basically causes a big circadian issue for everybody. It's not just the loss of sleep, it's actually the getting up an hour earlier that is so difficult," Daniel said.The circadian rhythm is the body's natural 24-hour clock, and losing an hour can disrupt it even if one gets enough sleep.Waking up in the dark can also throw off the body clock."There's no magic bullet for it. It's painful for everybody no matter how you do it. Slow is better, but I think that routine waketime throughout the week is the most important piece of the puzzle, but there's unfortunately no secret sauce for this," Daniel said.He advises against hitting the snooze button, as it disrupts the deepest sleep of the night.Instead, he recommends setting the alarm for the time you actually need to wake up and starting the day immediately.

Americans will lose an hour of sleep this weekend as clocks spring forward for daylight saving time on Sunday morning, reviving a decades-old debate in Washington.

The U.S. Senate passed the 'Sunshine Protection Act' a few years ago, aiming to make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate the bi-annual clock changes. However, the bill died in the House as it never came to a vote.

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a longtime proponent of the act, is once again reintroducing it.

"I'm working very hard to make sure this is the last time we have to change our clocks," Tuberville said.

In 1974, the U.S. adopted permanent daylight saving time to conserve energy during the oil crisis.

Initially, about 80 percent of people supported the move, but it quickly became unpopular.

Parents were concerned about their children waiting for the bus in the dark, and many people had to commute to work and school before sunrise.

Support for permanent daylight saving time plummeted to 30 percent, according to a Washington Post poll.

Senator Tuberville did not respond to questions about whether he was concerned about a repeat of the 1974 scenario.

Dr. Neal Daniel, a sleep specialist at UAB St. Vincent's, emphasizes the importance of sleep consistency in adjusting to changes in time.

"It basically causes a big circadian issue for everybody. It's not just the loss of sleep, it's actually the getting up an hour earlier that is so difficult," Daniel said.

The circadian rhythm is the body's natural 24-hour clock, and losing an hour can disrupt it even if one gets enough sleep.

Waking up in the dark can also throw off the body clock.

"There's no magic bullet for it. It's painful for everybody no matter how you do it. Slow is better, but I think that routine waketime throughout the week is the most important piece of the puzzle, but there's unfortunately no secret sauce for this," Daniel said.

He advises against hitting the snooze button, as it disrupts the deepest sleep of the night.

Instead, he recommends setting the alarm for the time you actually need to wake up and starting the day immediately.

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Debating daylight saving: Alabama Sen. Tuberville once again pushing for permanent time change

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