Why daylight saving time is worse than we thought, shocking research reveals

Two in five Americans will experience “daylight saving time anxiety” as they prepare to change the clocks in November.

The survey of 2,000 Americans found that 40% feel a sense of dread as they prepare for a “relapse,” a feeling that lasts much longer than just a day or two around the time change.

The results showed that this feeling of anxiety started about eleven days before the clock changed – starting around October 23 this year.

And it doesn’t end until about 13 days after the change, which is November 16.

Commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress and conducted by Talker Research, the study delved into ‘daylight savings anxiety’ and how respondents feel about changing their clocks.

Regardless of whether they experience “daylight saving time anxiety,” 59% of respondents would permanently stop switching to and from daylight saving time if given the chance.

And older generations were eager to do so: Half of millennials would choose to end the twice-a-year time change, compared to 69% of baby boomers.

Only a third of respondents (35%) believe that the trade-off in autumn – an extra hour of sleep at night, versus less light in the evenings – is worth it.

This may be partly due to the fact that 77% of respondents feel more energetic when the sun shines. But after daylight saving time ends, 70% feel like they start and end their day when it’s dark.

“The sudden shift to shorter days and darker nights is throwing our sleep schedules out of whack,” says Mark Abrials, CMO at Avocado Green Mattress. “Everyone is a little grumpy, grumpy, moody and lazy.”

Respondents with a job (48%) mainly miss daylight; 54% admit that they suffer from the “sunlight blues” after the time change because they are working all day.

Of working respondents, 43% also said the week after daylight saving time ends is the most unproductive time at work; 31% admit they make more mistakes than usual.

This includes falling asleep at their desk while typing a letter to the company president, showing up late after not changing their clock the night before, and putting salt in their coffee instead of sugar.

About a fifth of respondents say changing their clocks is detrimental to their sleep schedule (21%).

Therefore, it may not be surprising that 37% of respondents need more sleep in the days or weeks after daylight saving time ends, regardless of their employment status.

And these respondents need an extra hour and 24 minutes to feel well rested.

“The fall time change can be such a struggle,” says Amy Sieman, Affiliate Manager at Avocado Green Mattress. “Early darkness can make us tired early and more likely to be sedentary, causing us to skip fun activities and time outdoors.”

Research methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans who experience daylight saving time; The research was commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress and conducted online by Talker Research between October 3 and 7, 2024.

We source from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

● Traditional online access panels – where respondents sign up to participate in online market research as an incentive

● Programmatic – where respondents are online and given the opportunity to participate in a survey to receive a virtual incentive, usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit into the specified sample were removed from the survey. As the survey is administered, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an online survey, where the survey was administered in English; A link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents received points for completing the survey. These points have a small monetary value equivalent to cash.

Cells are only reported for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are set to achieve the desired sample.

Interviews will be excluded from the final analysis if they do not meet quality control measures. This includes:

● Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time faster than one-third of the average interview time will be disqualified as speeders

● Open-ended: all verbatim answers (full open-ended questions and other options, please specify) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text

● Bots: Captcha is enabled for surveys, allowing the research team to identify and disqualify bots

● Duplicates: Survey software features digital fingerprinting, which ensures that no one is allowed to complete the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with Internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without Internet access.