Spring Ahead: Mark Your Calendars for Daylight Saving Time Changes!

This Sunday, March 9, 2025, Americans will set their clocks forward an hour as daylight saving time begins, resulting in a loss of sleep for many. The shift occurs at 2 a.m., and the next adjustment will happen on November 2, when clocks are set back an hour.

Despite being standard for over half a century, many people express disdain for this biannual time change. Previous legislative attempts, such as the Sunshine Protection Act, aimed to abolish the clock switch altogether by making daylight saving time permanent. Originally introduced by Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Vern Buchanan in 2018, the bill has seen multiple reintroductions, including a recent attempt by Senator Rick Scott in January.

Former President Donald Trump also vocalized opposition to the seasonal time change, describing it as a costly inconvenience. He advocated for its elimination via a post on Truth Social shortly before taking office.

In 2025, the official transition to daylight saving time occurs promptly at 2 a.m. Alongside the disruption of sleep, many individuals face the task of manually adjusting non-automated clocks. While most modern electronic devices update automatically, some household items still require hands-on changes.

Regarding the permanence of daylight saving time, numerous proposals have emerged over the years. The Sunshine Protection Act has garnered attention but has not yet been enacted into law. Notably, it passed the U.S. Senate unanimously in March 2022, although it subsequently failed to gain traction in the House of Representatives.

Efforts to modify daylight saving time at the federal level continue, with various states having proposed legislation to address the issue. Experts in health and medicine argue for a different approach, suggesting that standard time should be made permanent. Organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine advocate for aligning time with natural daylight to benefit human health.

Daylight saving time has its origins tied to World War I, when it was first introduced in Germany to conserve energy. The Standard Time Act of 1918 brought it to the U.S. as a wartime measure. Initially temporary, the system evolved into a nationwide practice. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established standardized rules for the observance of daylight saving time, which has changed little since 2005, when the timeframe was adjusted to its current format.

Notably, Arizona and Hawaii choose not to observe daylight saving time, permitted under federal law to maintain standard time year-round. Past experiences with continuous daylight saving time occurred during World War II and again in 1974, primarily in response to energy crises.

While proponents argue that daylight saving time optimizes energy use and reduces crime rates, research findings from studies conducted in 1975 and 2005 have shown insignificant differences in these areas attributed to the time change.