Sebastian Cisneros

Students walk on campus under the afternoon sunset on Monday after school. As the fall time change sets in, earlier sunsets limit the daylight available for after-school activities.

California’s twice-a-year clock changes continue to affect daily life on and off campus. While some enjoy the extra daylight in the morning, the disruption to sleep, focus and routine outweighs the benefits. This leaves both students and staff struggling to adjust each time the clocks shift.

Studies show that changing the clocks can affect sleep quality and productivity. According to a 2021 article published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the leading professional organization dedicated to advancing sleep care says, “The human circadian system does not adjust to annual clock changes. Sleep becomes disrupted, less efficient and shortened.” This indicates that even a one-hour shift can make it harder for students to stay alert in early classes, affecting both academic performance and after-school activities.

Senior athlete Joshua Salgado says the change throws off his routine every year.

“I believe it’s good to get an extra hour to rest, but I think it’s absurd sometimes because that clock change ruins your cycle,” Salgado said.

Salgado explained that the extra hour may feel helpful at first, but it ultimately disrupts his natural schedule. He notices that he gets tired earlier, which affects his concentration in class and motivation for workouts after school. This shows that losing or gaining even a single hour can have a noticeable effect on students’ daily routines.

However, not all students view the time change negatively.

Senior soccer player Adonai Hernandez offered a different perspective on how the time change affects energy and daily routines.

“I feel like it’s necessary because the seasons change. It doesn’t really affect me that much except that it gets dark sooner,” Hernandez said.

While Hernandez feels the change is minor, research shows that daylight exposure still plays a critical role in energy and focus. A 2014 study published by the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest biomedical library and a leader in research in computational health informatics found, “Workers in offices with windows had more light exposure during the workweek, longer sleep duration, better sleep quality, more physical activity and better quality of life compared to office workers without windows.” This suggests that darker evenings caused by the time change can impact overall alertness and well-being, even if students do not notice immediate effects.

Teachers have also observed the effects of the time change on both staff and students.

AutoCADD teacher Justin Potts said the time change is helpful in the mornings, but challenging in the evenings.

“I actually like this time change — this time when you fall back — because the sun comes out earlier and the start of my day is easier, but I don’t like it because nighttime ends earlier, like at five, and it’s dark,” Potts said.

Potts’ perspective shows the mixed impact of time change on adults’ schedules as well. While earlier sunlight does help him be more productive and get his day started feeling refreshed and energized, the early onset of darkness can reduce evening activity time. His opinion reflects how the time change can have both positive and negative effects on daily routines, depending on when people are most active.

Other staff members feel the time change directly affects students’ focus and behavior.

Culinary arts teacher Lidia Felix also noticed that the time change affects students’ alertness.

“…I think that the day is longer. At around four it starts looking dark inside, it gets people more sleepy and they don’t take advantage of the whole day,” Felix said.

She explained that seasonal light changes can impact students’ energy and engagement during school hours. Research from the Sleep Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on public health and safety related to sleep, explains that if we abolished daylight saving time, “without losing an hour of sleep in March … you’d probably wake up feeling more refreshed and less tired on that same weekend in past years.” This shows that eliminating the bi-annual clock change could help stabilize sleep schedules, reduce fatigue and make it easier for students and staff alike to maintain consistent routines.

The shift in daylight may seem minor, but research and firsthand accounts show it affects more than just sleep. Students and staff experience changes in focus, energy and motivation. The disruption can impact both academic performance and personal routines.

Overall, the time change throws off more than just sleep and creates unnecessary challenges for students and staff. Ending the practice and keeping one consistent schedule year-round could help restore focus, energy and balance across the school community.