Every spring we set our clocks forward an hour, and every fall we set them back, but why? Learn the real story behind Daylight Saving Time.
Autumn is here, and that means it's time for the clocks to fall back.
Here's what you need to know:
When is daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday of March, when clocks spring forward an hour.
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. >Sign up here.
Clocks will fall back an hour – so we will gain an hour – on Nov. 3, 2024, which is the first Sunday of the month.
Why is there daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time was first formally enacted in the United States in 1918 and was put in place to give an extra hour of sunlight during the summer months.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
The move is intended to give summer beach goers and farmers' crops more sunlight when it matters most.
Which states do not follow daylight saving time?
Hawaii and Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation) are the only two states that do not observe daylight saving time. The U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands also do not follow daylight saving time.
Can daylight saving time be repealed?
Yes, and there a couple of ways a state can get out of daylight saving time.
First, according to the Uniform Time Act of 1966, states are allowed to exempt themselves from daylight saving time by passing a law in their state.
A second way is for the federal government to pass a law either abolishing daylight saving time or making it permanent, avoiding the need to change clocks.
In recent years, a bill was introduced in the Senate to make daylight saving time permanent, giving the extra hour of sun in the summer as well as in the winter.
Called the Sunshine Protection Act, the bill was passed unanimously by the Senate in 2022, only for it to stall in the House.
Does daylight saving time affect your health?
Sleep experts say that daylight saving time impacts people's circadian rhythm, which is the body's 24-hour rhythm that determines when your body becomes sleepy.
When clocks "spring forward" in March, causing people to lose an hour of sleep, research has shown that a spike in fatal car accidents take place in the days immediately afterword.
Also, loss of sleep is also linked to health issues, including heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and numerous other problems.
