Consider This Your Reminder That Daylight Saving Time Is Less Than Three Weeks Away
We're deep into the fall season, and have long said goodbye to those summery beach vacations. We're not too mad, though—because welcoming the fall equinox just means we get to participate in our favorite fall activities and wear the cutest fall sweaters! The one thing that will take getting used to, though, is bidding a farewell to that summer sunlight come Sunday, November 5.
Basically, what we're saying is that Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends, which means you'll have to set your clock back one hour before going to bed and gain an hour of sleep. Suddenly, it starts to get dark before 5 p.m. and before you know it, you'll feel like a desperate plant in the winter, moving around the house to absorb as much natural light as possible! So when is Daylight Saving Time and why do we set the clocks twice a year? Where does such a tradition come from? Here's what to know about DST, and when to set a reminder in your calendar!
What is Daylight Saving Time?
Daylight Saving Time is a way to conserve energy by utilizing more hours of sunlight as a natural source. The timeframe in which the sun rises and sets already depends on the season we're in. So, moving the clock forward an hour in the spring from Standard time to DST is a way to do that.
Likewise, moving the clock backward from DST to Standard Time in the fall, heading into the winter, has a counter-impact, allowing us to adapt to the new season. This method was introduced to the U.S. in 1918, initially being deemed "fast time." Now being used for more than just one sole purpose, the U.S. is one of 70 countries around the globe to have adapted DST.
When do we spring forward?
It's pretty simple if you remember this rule of thumb: Daylight Saving Time always takes place on the second Sunday of March. Then, Daylight Saving Time ends every year on the first Sunday of November. (So while the dates vary, the day of the week and month remains the same!) This year, Daylight Saving Time falls on March 10, 2024 and will end on November 3, 2024.
You should always set your clocks forward an hour come March for more sunlight, while setting them back an hour in November so we can save some of that energy in the colder months. Guess that's good news for our morning people out there!
Why do we have Daylight Saving Time?
Oh boy, is there a lot here! A few stories prevail about how the United States adopted the time change. Benjamin Franklin wrote an early "proposition" in a 1784 letter to The Journal of Paris, where he suggested the city could save 64,050,000 pounds of candle wax burned if only its citizens would rise with the sun. He also suggested firing cannons in every street as a city-wide alarm clock, so the letter is taken mainly as satire (thank goodness).
In 1916, Germany was the first country to enact Daylight Saving Time to save money on energy costs during WWI; the United States and much of Europe followed suit. Then, comes a slightly chaotic time for Daylight Saving Time in America—the federal law was repealed after the war, reinstated during WWII, and made optional after that war ended. This "choose-your-own-adventure" DST made traveling between states an absolute nightmare. (Who could have seen that coming? 😂)
Finally, in 1966, the federal government passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized DST for six months, from April to October. It was extended twice more to seven months in 1986, and our current eight months in 2005.
Is Daylight Saving Time becoming permanent?
In recent news, the Sunshine Protection Act was proposed as a United States federal law that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent, meaning no more changing the clocks twice a year! On March 15, 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the bill unanimously. Currently, it still needs to be discussed by U.S. House of Representatives before it can be signed into law by the President.
Eliminating what feels like an arbitrary time switch sounds like a simple plan, one most people could get behind if they dislike Standard Time. However, some scientists and experts warn that there are serious health risks. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's (AASM) official position cites an "abundance of evidence" showing that the abrupt switch from Standard Time to DST leads to an "increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events, mood disorders, and motor vehicle crashes." Even without the sudden change, DST is less aligned with our natural circadian biology. The AASM concludes that the seasonal time change should be eliminated but in favor of year-round Standard Time.
What states are getting rid of Daylight Savings time?
Hawaii and Arizona already observe permanent Standard Time and have done so since 1967 and 1968, respectively. Their reasons were the same: both states get lots of sunlight year-round anyway! A handful of U.S. territories also don't observe the change for the same reason, including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
As of October 2022, 29 states had introduced state legislation addressing DST, with the majority wanting to make it permanent. Under federal law, states can opt out of daylight saving time and remain on Standard Time as Hawaii and Arizona have. However, they are not allowed to remain on daylight time without congress enacting a federal law or gaining state approval from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation saying that the change would support commerce.
Fun fact: Former President Woodrow Wilson once abolished a year long Daylight Saving Time! It was at the request of the farmers at the time, but it was later re-established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who called it necessary for "War Time," and its use of conserving energy. However, things were set in a regular order with the aforementioned 1966 Uniform Time Act.
Love it or hate it, most of us have learned to live with switching our clocks twice a year.
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