More light in the evening? Where NC law and public opinion stand as we change our clocks

This Sunday, millions of Americans will set their watches and clocks back one hour, marking the end of daylight-saving time and the start of standard time. Some will do this begrudgingly, disliking the earlier nightfall, while others will favor the light in the mornings.

For North Carolinians, time is set to fall back one hour on Nov. 5 at 2 a.m. But according to a High Point University online poll conducted in October, out of 1,000 respondents in North Carolina, just under 50% of respondents preferred changing to a year-round daylight saving time, meaning more light in the evening.

Meanwhile, 21% of respondents preferred changing to a year-round standard time (earlier sunrise, less light in the evening) and 25% preferred staying within the current system, which switches between the two systems in spring and autumn. Another 13% of respondents were unsure.

In a news release by High Point University, Daniel Hall, economist and dean of the Phillips School of Business, pointed out that daylight saving time was adopted during World War I. According to the Library of Congress, this was done in 1918 to save electricity during the war.

“The energy savings benefits have been difficult to prove” and “tenuous benefits have diminished while the coordination and switching costs have increased” he said.

What’s the best option?

The debate over the best option — whether moving to a year-round daylight saving time, changing to a year-round standard time, or switching between the two — has played out across the country.

A few states and U.S. territories, including Hawaii and Arizona, don’t observe daylight saving time, instead sticking to standard time, currently allowed by the federal Uniform Time Act. This act does not permit states to observe daylight saving time year-round. But state legislatures, including North Carolina, have considered at least 550 bills to establish year-round daylight saving time as soon as federal law allows it, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

North Carolina bills filed in the Senate and House this year would have allowed the state to adopt daylight saving time year-round if approved by Congress. Both, similar to previous bills filed over the years in the state, fizzled out.

There have also been federal attempts to make daylight saving time permanent via the “Sunshine Protection Act”, introduced in 2022. This failed due to differences on whether all states should adopt permanent daylight saving time or standard time. A 2023 version of the act has remained idle.

The medical community largely falls in favor of changing to standard time. The American Medical Association – the largest national association that convenes over 190 state and specialty medical societies — says that while the chronic effects of remaining year-round in daylight saving time have not been sufficiently studied, sleep experts say that standard time aligns best with human sleep cycles.

The AMA also says that the shift from standard time to daylight saving time in March is associated with increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events, mood disorders, and motor vehicle crashes. The association also said in 2022 it was not in favor of the U.S. bill to establish permanent daylight saving time.

It’s time to set back the clocks. What daylight saving time means for sunrise and sunset