Tuesday, December 10, 2024
The time has come once again to receive one extra hour of sleep as clocks “fall back” to mark the end of daylight saving time.
Twice a year, Americans adjust their clocks to either “spring forward” or “fall back” by one hour to make better use of daylight and save energy. Daylight saving time officially ends on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 2 a.m. in the United States this year, meaning there will be more sunlight in the mornings and less light in the evenings for the fall and winter months. In the spring, the one-hour jump forward adds more daylight in the evenings.
The yearly fall and spring clock adjustments have been under debate and scrutiny in recent years. Sleep experts have voiced concern about the dangers of seasonal time changes, especially the switch back to daylight saving time in March.
The loss of one hour in the spring has been linked to increased health and safety risks, such as motor vehicle accidents, cardiovascular events, mood disturbances, strokes, and hospital admissions, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Survey data from AASM show that 63% of respondents were in favor of a fixed, year-round time rather than seasonal time changes.
Most of the United States observes daylight saving time, except for Hawaii, most of Arizona, and several U.S. territories. In recent years, several states have pushed to end the twice-a-year clock change. The Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, a bill making daylight saving time permanent nationwide, but it did not pass through the U.S. House of Representatives.
History of daylight saving time
Although its history varies, many sources credit Benjamin Franklin as the first person to propose a time change in the 18th century, so he could save in candle usage by making better use of daylight. In the 19th century, New Zealand scientist George Vernon Hudson and British builder William Willett are also recognized for suggesting that the public adjust their clocks, but their plans were never enacted.
According to CBS News, daylight saving time was officially put into place during World War I, when Germany adopted the time shift to conserve fuel. In 1918, the U.S. started to also use daylight saving time under the Standard Time Act, but it was repealed one year later in 1919.
While it was briefly re-established during World War II, it did not become a federal law in the United States until 1966 when the Uniform Time Act standardized the use of daylight saving time as Americans know it today.
Daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November every year.
