If you’re dreading the start of Daylight Saving Time this weekend, here are a few tips from experts on how to ease into your new schedule without wanting to break your alarm clock. One of two times per year when Americans reset their clocks by an hour to accommodate what some research shows is an unproven – and possibly even risky – concept called daylight saving time.
For example, after World War II, St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota, started daylight saving time two weeks before the city of Minneapolis did – and the two are only roughly 12 miles apart. It is widely debated if the clock change actually conserves energy or if it causes harmful effects on our sleep cycles.
The rules governing time changes were last amended in 2007, the result of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. However, their spending decreased 3.5% in the period after the fall time change. Losing an hour of sleep is no fun, and researchers say it could be bad for your health. One hypothesis is that workers make their way home and then shop online instead of visiting stores. Some studies, meanwhile, show increased physical activity in children thanks to Daylight Saving Time, according to Mohammed.
Daylight Saving Time begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November.
Looking on the bright side (so to speak), the changeovers to daylight time in the spring, and back to standard time in the fall, are, in at least one way, easier than in the past. But they’ll instantly gain a little more daylight later in the day.
Advance your clocks by 60 minutes before tucking in, so you’re not caught off-guard Sunday morning.
King notes that she also believed Daylight Saving Time was put in place because of the farmers.
Downing and Prerau disagree on the actual energy savings that occurs during Daylight Saving Time.
Daylight-saving time was established in the United States in 1918 as an effort to save energy during World War I, which ended later that year. That lasted until 1944, and from 1945 to 1966, there was no federal law on DST, with states able to use it if they wanted.
Changing the clocks is meant to be a harbinger of spring, which, on the calendar at least, is little over a week away (it starts March 20).
Today, Arizona, Hawaii and Puerto Rico do not recognize Daylight Saving Time.