Fall is here, and it’s almost time to change any of your clocks to automatic adjustments. Two days after Halloween, clocks in most of the United States will be moved back one hour. Daylight Saving Time ends on November 2, with the time officially changing to 2 a.m
Time changes are notorious for disrupting sleep patterns and schedules. Some politicians are pushing Cancel the time change And will be on Daylight Saving Time or DST forever. Even if you hate how quickly it gets dark every day, remember that brighter evenings will return after four months.
When does daylight saving time end?
Daylight Saving Time in the United States ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 2. It returns on Sunday March 8 at 2am local time. The closing motto of DST is “fall back,” whereas in March, we’ll “spring forward.”
The United States is not alone in observing daylight saving time. Check this out List of other countries that use DST with their start and end dates
Daylight Saving Time vs. Standard Time
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The exact start dates for Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time float a bit. DST starts on the second Sunday of March and ends back to Standard Time on the first Sunday of November
We spend about eight months of the year in DST. We can thank the Uniform Time Act of 1966 for bringing some order to a complicated history of time changes in the United States.
“Motivated by improvements in transportation, this act mandated standard time within existing time zones and established a permanent system of uniform DST with dates and times changing twice annually,” the Bureau of Transportation Statistics said in a statement. History of time zones.
The nation’s time zones date to the railroad boom of the late 1800s. DST officially entered chat in 1918, but its application was inconsistent until 1966. The country tried for years. Daylight Saving Time In January 1974 under President Richard Nixon as a way to deal with the energy crisis. It doesn’t go over well. Congress and President Gerald Ford restored standard time in October 1974.
If you really hate the time change, consider moving to Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) or Hawaii. These states remain in ideal times throughout the year and do not have to deal with the physical and mental health effects of change. Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands also avoid DST.
Read more: Why is NASA working on a time zone for the moon?
Sleep experts look for standard times throughout the year
Organizations such as National Sleep FoundationThe American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms have jointly called for a permanent standard time, saying it is good for human biology.
“There is a mismatch between the outside world and our internal clock during daylight saving time that can lead to some negative health consequences,” says Joseph Dzirzewski, senior vice president of research and scientific affairs at the National Sleep Foundation.
Dzierzewski cited mental health concerns and upticks in cardiovascular events and drowsy driving. He also called out the safety issues of young children walking to school or sitting at bus stops in the dark. These security issues were a major reason why permanent DST did not become permanent in 1974.
Do we ditch this time for change for the better?
Time changes are not popular. A October 2024 YouGov poll (PDF link) of more than 1,100 US adults found that 63% would like to see the clock change. Only 17% wanted to keep the change, and 20% weren’t sure.
Attempts to end the time change have failed to pass into law. The bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act, which would have made Daylight Saving Time permanent, passed the Senate in 2022 but has gone no further. The bill’s allies are still pushing for it.
“It’s not just a nuisance — changing our clocks has very real effects on our economy, our health and our happiness,” Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts said in a new call. Bill passed In 2024.
Although many people agree on eliminating time change, differences between daylight saving time and standard time remain. Standard Time may have some image problems compared to DST.
“Part of the issue is that people associate daylight saving time with summer. People love summer, right?” Dzierzewski said. “But the simple fact of the matter is, if we were on permanent standard time, it would still be summer.”
President Donald Trump criticized the time change in 2024 True social posts: “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate daylight saving time, which has a small but powerful constituency, but should not! Daylight saving time is inconvenient and extremely costly to our nation.”
Bills and resolutions at the state level have yet to have real-world impact. Politicians are still divided on whether they want permanent daylight saving or standard time. Dzierzewski is optimistic that permanent standards will win over time. “This is the first time in several years that I’ve seen more legislation introduced at the state level in support of permanent standard time as a solution,” he said.
If you want to see an end to time changes and advocate for daylight saving or standard time, contact your state and national representatives and voice your opinion.
Adjust your body clock during daylight saving time
Daylight saving time is happening, so now it’s just a matter of figuring out how to deal with it. It’s not just about the time change day.
“If you have good sleep health, you’re in a better position to deal with the effects of the clock change,” Dzierzewski said. He recommends exposure to bright light in the morning, physical activity during the day, eating meals at regular intervals, and practicing a relaxing wind-down routine at night.
Most Americans struggle to get the 7 to 9 hours of sleep recommended by the National Sleep Foundation for most adults. A CNET survey found that more than half of US adults use some method to deal with sleep-related challenges. Check out some expert-backed tips to improve your sleep quality.
“If you practice these healthy sleep behaviors, you’re likely to be more resilient to some of these changes,” Dzierzewski said. “If you’re sleep deprived, you’re probably going to feel it a little more.”
Establishing a good sleep routine can take time. There are two things you can do in direct response to the time change. Dzierzewski recommends gradually adjusting your bedtime and wake-up times before making the change. For example, you can change your schedule by 15 minutes each day and ease yourself into DST. He recommends getting a good dose of bright morning light on the day of the time change to help set your internal body clock.
Think of DST as another kind of wake-up call, one that can motivate you to evaluate your sleep routine and quality and make positive changes. Start with these six simple habits. And don’t forget to change your watch. Do it the night before and you won’t have to worry about it later.