Sleep experts: How could permanent Daylight Saving Time impact your sleep?
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>> SO A LOT OF US ARE ENJOYING
THAT EXTRA HOUR OF LIGHT IN
THE EVENINGS AFTER THE TIME
CHANGE SUNDAY, THE U.S. SENATE
LIKES IT SO MUCH. THEY VOTED
THIS WEEK TO MAKE DAYLIGHT
SAVING TIME PERMANENT WRAL,
CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF LAURA
LESLIE TALKED TO SOME SLEEP
EXPERTS ABOUT THAT IDEA AND SHE
JOINS US LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN
RALEIGH. MORE.
>> YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A NEW
IDEA AROUND HERE. STATEHOUSE
LAWMAKERS HERE IN NORTH
CAROLINA VOTED IN 2019 2021.
TO MAKE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
PERMANENT. THE STATE SENATE
DID NOT TAKE UP THAT VOTE AND
SLEEP. DOCTORS SAY THAT'S FOR
THE BEST. ACTUALLY STANDARD
TIME. BUT THE A LOT BETTER.
>> POLLS SHOW MOST AMERICANS
DON'T LIKE CHANGING OUR CLOCKS.
DOCTOR SUE JAKE INSIDER AGREES
HE'S HEAD OF DUKE'S PEDIATRIC
SLEEP PROGRAM. I'M A BIG FAN
OF NOT SWITCHING. I THE SWITCH
BY NOW OR TWICE A YEAR.
>> WREAKS HAVOC FOR MANY OF
US, PARTICULARLY FOR PARENTS
AND FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. UNC
PROFESSOR DOCTOR DOUGLAS KERSH
IS PAST PRESIDENT OF THE
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP
MEDICINE, WHICH ALSO OPPOSES
CHANGING THE CLOCKS. HOWEVER,
HE SAYS SETTLING ON PERMANENT
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME WITH THE
PROBLEMATIC. I CAN UNDERSTAND
THE APPEAL. IT'S LIGHT LATER.
EVERYBODY'S HAPPY TO HAVE TIME
AFTER WORK AFTER DINNER TO TO
GO OUT AND DO THINGS.
>> ON THE OTHER HAND, THAT
DOESN'T MATCH VERY WELL WITH
OUR HUMAN BIOLOGY. THE U.S. HAS
ALREADY TRIED THIS ONCE DURING
THE ENERGY CRISIS. BACK IN
1974, AND AFTER ABOUT 16
MONTHS, WE SCRAPPED IT BECAUSE,
YOU KNOW, KIDS HAVING TO WAKE
UP IN THE DARK CONSTANTLY GO TO
SCHOOL IN THE DARK. THAT RAISES
SAFETY ISSUES UNDER PERMANENT
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME. IT'S DARK
UNTIL 08:00AM. AND THE WINTER
BOTH DOCTORS AGREE THAT'S NOT
GOOD FOR OUR BODY CLOCKS.
IT'S REALLY DARK IN THE
MORNING. YOUR BODY TENDS TO
WANT TO SHIFT AND SLOWLY SLOWLY
GO TO BED LATER AND WAKE UP
LATER.
>> AND SO THE CONCERN IS WE
ALL TURN INTO KIND OF A
TEENAGER, TAKE SLEEP YOU KNOW
WHY YOU GO TO BED LATE AND
SLEEP IN.
>> KERR SAYS TO PERFORM BEST
HUMANS NEED CONSISTENT SLEEP
AND THAT REQUIRES LIGHT IN THE
MORNING AND DARK IN THE
EVENING.
>> AND IN THE END, THE THE TIME
THAT MATCH IS BEST TO OUR
BIOLOGY IS STANDARD TIME FOR
MOST AREAS OF THE COUNTRY.
>> SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW
UNTIL TODAY IS THAT UNDER
CURRENT LAW STATES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY CAN CHOOSE TO GO
PERMANENT STANDARD TIME ANY
TIME THEY WANT TO. THEY WANT
TO GO PERMANENT DAYLIGHT TIME.
THAT WOULD TAKE AN ACT OF
CONGRESS BUT THEY CAN CHOOSE A
CANDIDATE AND THEY LIKE SO
LAWMAKERS ARE OUT HERE COULD
SOLVE THAT PROBLEM PRETTY
QUICKLY. IF THAT'S THE WAY THEY
DECIDED TO GO.
>> BACK TO YOU, CHRIS. YOU
KNOW, METEOROLOGIST MIKE MAY
SAID THAT IF THIS DOES GO
THROUGH IN DECEMBER AND
JANUARY, THE LATEST FOR SUNRISE