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Spring Forward: The Great Daylight Saving Debate Continues
Get ready to lose an hour of sleep this Sunday, as clocks across most of the U.S. “spring forward” at 2 a.m. for daylight saving time. This annual ritual creates a 23-hour day, throwing off sleep schedules, plunging early-morning dog walks into darkness, and, let’s be honest, inspiring a whole lot of grumbling.
Despite widespread public dissatisfaction with changing clocks twice a year, efforts to reform the system remain stalled in political gridlock. Opinions are sharply divided on whether to make daylight saving time permanent or stick with standard time year-round, with each option presenting its own set of challenges.
For instance, a permanent daylight saving time would mean a 9 a.m. sunrise in Detroit during the winter months, while year-round standard time would see the sun pop up at a startling 4:11 a.m. in Seattle in June. “There’s no law we can pass to move the sun to our will,” noted Jay Pea, president of Save Standard Time, an organization advocating for permanent standard time.
Let’s delve into the heart of this ongoing debate.
The Headache of Imposing a Clock on a Rotating Planet
For New York City resident Genie Lauren, winters are a “white-knuckle” experience, waiting for the sun to stay out long enough for her to enjoy anything outside after work. “The majority of the year we’re in daylight savings time,” the 41-year-old healthcare worker mused, “What are we doing this for?”
The U.S. has a long history of tinkering with time, ever since railroads standardized time zones in 1883. Globally, about 140 countries have implemented daylight saving time at some point, with roughly half still observing it today.
A recent AP-NORC poll revealed that only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults favor the current system of changing clocks. While roughly half oppose it, and 4 in 10 remain undecided, most Americans who do have an opinion would prefer to make daylight saving time permanent.
A Policymaker’s Predicament
Since 2018, 19 states, predominantly in the South and Northwest, have passed laws advocating for permanent daylight saving time. However, there’s a catch: Congress must pass a federal law to allow states to adopt full-time daylight saving. This was implemented nationwide during World War II and for a brief, unpopular period in 1974.
The U.S. Senate passed a bill in 2022 to make daylight saving time permanent, but a similar bill in the House has yet to see a vote.
U.S. Rep.
Mike Rogers (R-Alabama), who introduces such a bill every term, points to the airline industry’s opposition, citing scheduling complexities, as a factor in its stalled progress.
U.S. Rep.
Greg Steube (R-Florida) offers a different solution: “Why not just split the baby?” he asked, suggesting a 30-minute adjustment that would be halfway between the two options.
Steube believes his bill could garner bipartisan support, despite the U.S. then being out of sync with most of the world (though India and Nepal have adopted similar, unique time adjustments).
Sleep Experts Advocate for Morning Light
Karin Johnson, vice president of Save Standard Time and a professor of neurology at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, argues that permanent standard time, with the sun directly overhead near noon, would improve the functioning of students, drivers, and the general public year-round. “Morning light is what’s really critical for setting our circadian rhythms each day,” she emphasized.
Kenneth Wright, a professor and director of the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at the University of Colorado, highlights the increased risk of fatal vehicle crashes, heart attacks, and strokes in the days following the spring forward. “Based on the evidence for our health and well-being and safety, the best option for us as a country now is to choose to go to permanent standard time,” he stated.
Obstacles to Change
Currently, only Arizona (excluding the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii opt out of daylight saving time. In the past two years, half a dozen states have seen bills to switch to permanent standard time pass in one legislative chamber, including Virginia in February. However, a Virginia House committee recently recommended shelving the issue until 2027.
Most of these measures include caveats, stipulating that the change would only take effect if neighboring states followed suit. For example, Virginia would only adopt standard time if Maryland and Washington, D.C., did as well.
This aims to address concerns from groups like broadcasters about schedule confusion, though it wouldn’t appease the golf industry, which opposes full-time standard time due to its impact on evening tee times. Many full-time daylight saving bills have similar provisions.
A Call for State-Level Decisions
Scott Yates, a Colorado resident and founder of the website Lock the Clock, proposes a federal law to end the twice-yearly clock change within two years, allowing states to then commit to either daylight saving or standard time.
Until then, Yates offers some timely advice: “If you’re the boss, tell all your employees on Monday that they can come in an hour later,” he suggested. “And if you aren’t the boss, tell your boss that you think you should come in an hour later on Monday. Sleep in for safety.”