Get ready to spring forward and lose sleep, Idaho. Here’s when daylight saving time starts

The start of springtime means longer days with the sun, thanks to daylight saving time.

Also known as “spring forward,” the yearly time change means turning the clock one hour forward. Subsequently, you’ll lose an hour of sleep in March.

When is daylight saving time?

At 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10, clocks will skip forward to 3 a.m.

On this day, sunrise and sunset will be one hour later. That means that on March 10, the sun will rise in Boise at 8:04 a.m. and set at 7:45 p.m.

Why does daylight saving time exist?

Generally, to increase the amount of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Contrary to what many may believe, the purpose of saving daylight wasn’t created so farmers could have more time in the field. The first countries to implement the practice were Germany and Austria in 1916, according to online museum WebExhibits, to save fuel for electricity. On April 30, 1916, the clock would increase by one hour until October.

The United States adopted the plan in 1918 to save daylight and establish standard time, but the law was repealed the following year after World War I. The practice became optional for local governments and states.

The time change was inconsistent in the country, with former presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon enacting laws in their respective terms to decide how clocks should be set. Roosevelt re-established daylight saving time nationwide during World War 2, labeling it “war time,” while Nixon enacted permanent Daylight Saving Time for one year in 1974 in response to the 1973 oil crisis.

Prior to Nixon’s permanent daylight saving time, the Uniform Time Act was established and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966, creating daylight saving time and eastern daylight time. After a few amendments to save energy, daylight saving time would begin on the second Sunday of March and end on the first Sunday of November.

However, not all states observe the time change. The Uniform Time Act allows states to opt-out and stay in standard time all year.

Currently, only Hawai’i and most of Arizona observe permanent standard time.

Daylight saving time in the Northwest

Thanks to time zones, Washington and Idaho still spring forward and fall back, but the southern half of Idaho is in the Mountain time zone, while North Idaho is in Pacific time with Washington.

The Washington Legislature in 2019 proposed a pair of bills that would move Washington to standard time year-round. The bills never passed, and further measures were introduced in the 2021 legislative session. Those also didn’t pass.

The Idaho Legislature passed a bill in 2020 that stated if Washington does ditch daylight saving time, then North Idaho would follow suit and get rid of it to stay in sync with its Pacific time zone neighbor. A 2020 bill to end daylight time throughout Idaho stalled in the House of Representatives.

Time change effects on your body

Changing the clock forward by one hour might not seem like much, but it can take a toll on your body.

According to the Sleep Foundation, sleep experts note that the time transition causes “upticks in heart problems, mood disorders, and motor vehicle collisions.” The sleep disruption can also result in insomnia symptoms, which include difficulty sleeping, not feeling well rested, tiredness and irritability.

When does daylight saving time end?

Daylight saving time ends in the fall of 2024 on Sunday, Nov. 3.

At 2 a.m., clocks will go backward one hour to 1 a.m.