Adjusting to Daylight Saving Time Changes

Daylight saving time: Every spring we move our clocks forward one hour, and every fall we move them back one hour, to make the most use of daylight.

Every fall, we move our clocks forward one hour, after moving backwards in the spring. Daylight Saving Time in the United States began on Sunday, March 13, and ends at 2 a.m. on Nov. 5, a regime set up under legislation enacted in 1986, amending a 1966 law.

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Ready for change

But the ritual is unpopular; one poll found that only 28 percent of Americans want it to continue.

A movement is building to make a change. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has called for skipping the move in the spring, saying it raises the risk of a stroke and hospital admissions while increasing the number of traffic deaths and accidents that cause injuries.

Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, had led the way for a nationwide change, arguing that ending the spring time change would be a boon for agriculture, encourage people to exercise more, and reduce traffic accidents.

According to at least one study based on national data, permanent Daylight Saving Time could cut pedestrian deaths by 13 percent from 5 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 9 p.m. Deaths of people in cars would drop 3 percent during those hours, researchers estimate.

In March 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, sponsored by Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott (R), also of Florida. The law would end the twice-annual switch for all current time zones. Florida has passed its version, asking Congress to exempt it from the current law, but the bill did not pass the U.S. House of Representatives.

Another possibility would be a new regulation from the U.S. Department of Transportation, permitting the switch.

Neither has happened, so Floridians will be turning their clocks back November 5, along with most of the nation. Hawaii and most of Arizona are exempt from the national law.

Over on the west coast, in 2018 Californians passed a proposition to get rid of the twice-yearly change, but the California Senate didn’t take action. Washington state has approved a bill that allows the state to observe Daylight Saving Time year-round, and Oregon agreed, but its bill stipulates that the change wouldn’t go into effect unless California does the same.  

The history of moving clocks

Benjamin Franklin first proposed moving clocks back and forth to save on candles. It won favor to save energy during wartime. Germany and Austria took the plunge in the spring of 1916, and many countries in Europe followed Australia and, in 1918, the United States.

The regime was so unpopular among Americans it was repealed in 1919, when Congress overrode a veto by President Wilson. After that, Daylight Saving Time became a local option, and was continued in a few states and in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

Prompted by World War II, the United States adopted the practice nationwide once again. Then, from 1945 to 1966, there was no federal law, and states did what they wanted, creating confusion for railroads and broadcasters, until the 1966 move to standardize time zones.

In “Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time,” David Prerau explains some of the arguments in favor of moving clocks, such as helping people get home from work before dark in the spring and children get to school in sunlight during the fall.

How to adjust to Daylight Saving Time

The fall adjustment is easiest because you gain an extra hour of sleep. It’s similar to flying west into a later time zone. People vary quite a bit in how the change affects them, with most adjusting after a day. Early risers face dark mornings in the spring, and everyone sees the sun set earlier during the fall and winter.

You might fall asleep earlier at night and wake up before you feel rested or have a hard time getting up, notes Robert Rosenberg, DO, FCCP, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center of Prescott Valley and author of "Sleep Soundly Every Night, Feel Fantastic Every Day."

To ease the way, know the basics of good sleep habits:

• Avoid blue light from computers, cell phones, and tablets at least 90 minutes before bedtime or if you wake up during the night.
• Stay away from caffeine after noon and alcohol close to bedtime.
• Exercise several hours before bedtime.
• In bed, wear ear plugs and eye masks, if you need them, to shield yourself from noise and lights.

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