AUSTIN, Texas, March 10 (UPI) -- Across the United States it is television -- not Daylight Saving Time -- that determines the sleep schedule of most people, a study found.
Researchers Daniel S. Hamermesh, Caitlin Knowles Myers and Mark L. Pocock said the natural cue of daylight has some effect on timing, but timing of television programs has a larger effect.
"I lived 20 years in the Eastern Time Zone, I used to stay up until 11:45 p.m. to watch the monologue on the 'Tonight Show,'" Hamermesh of the University of Texas said in a statement. "Living in Texas, I typically turn out the lights at 10:45 p.m., when the monologue is done."
The researchers used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey, which tabulates how Americans split their time among their three most time-consuming activities -- work, sleep, and television watching.
After merging with sunrise and sunset data, the authors found that while natural daylight patterns have some effect on people's life patterns, the demands of global business such as market openings and regular television schedules create the boundaries of most Americans' lives.
In fact, Hamermesh said the researchers were "amazed how little daylight matters nowadays, and how much artificial time zones matter."
The findings are published in the Journal of Labor Economics.
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