Daylight Saving Time (DST) impacts the sleep routines of many Americans each spring, but how would our sleep cycles be impacted if we didn’t spring forward every year?

Recently, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to abolish DST, and scientists think it could change the way our bodies adjust to light, improving our overall sleep health.

Many Americans fall asleep with their television on, their phone buzzing on the nightstand next to them, or with no curtains to cover the glow of streetlights outside their windows. A new study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) suggests that even a moderate amount of light during sleep hours can have negative effects on someone’s cardiovascular and metabolic health.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that causes breathing to stop throughout the night, resulting in snoring, daytime sleepiness, and more. Related to light exposure at night, untreated sleep apnea has been found to have adverse effects on cardiovascular health as well, specifically heart disease. Together, these two factors can be fatal to one’s health.