Healio reports, “The U.S. Senate recently passed legislation” called the Sunshine Protection Act that “would make [DST] permanent starting” next year.

The bill “still requires approval from the House and President Joe Biden’s signature before it becomes law.”

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) “applauded the Senate for passing legislation that would establish a fixed, year-round time;” however, AASM “also cautioned that making daylight saving time (DST) permanent may lead to health risks that could be averted by establishing permanent standard time instead.”

The AASM position statement also indicates that “current evidence best supports the adoption of year-round standard time, which aligns best with human circadian biology and provides distinct benefits for public health and safety.”

The statement was endorsed by more than 20 medical, scientific, and civic organizations, including the American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National PTA, National Safety Council, Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, and World Sleep Society.

The AASM added, “The one-hour time shift in the spring results in less exposure to light in the morning and greater exposure to evening light,” and “in the presence of continuing social or occupational demands in early morning hours, this delay results in sleep loss and resultant sleep debt, in addition to circadian misalignment.”

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