Daylight saving time starts Sunday with "spring forward"

Axios

08-03-2025

The semi-annual changing of the clocks is this Sunday when most of the country will "spring forward" into daylight saving time after more than four months in standard time.
Why it matters: Lawmakers' attempts to get rid of the twice-yearly time changes and switch to permanent daylight saving time haven't gained traction.
Catch up quick: President Trump said Thursday it's "hard to get excited" about changing daylight saving time and called it a "50-50 issue."
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act in January to "lock the clock" and "make Daylight Saving Time the year-round standard."
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) introduced companion legislation in the House.
When to change clocks for spring forward 2025
The big picture: The official time switch is 2am local time on Sunday, March 9 — clocks are set forward one hour meaning we "lose" an hour — as daylight saving time.
Sunrise and sunset will be about one hour later on Sunday than on Saturday.
Many devices such as smartphones will automatically change time, and for devices that don't change, it's best to reset them before going to bed Saturday night.
Daylight saving time used to run from April to October, but the Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended it.
It now runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Lose an hour Sunday with time change, health effects
Friction point: The time change isn't about just losing one hour of sleep for one night. The downstream effects of the time change can harm your health.
Right after the clocks shift in March, there's a "spike in workplace accidents, road accidents and medical errors due to sleep deprivation and cognitive impairment," James Rowley of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine told Axios' Carly Mallenbaum last year.
Health groups and sleep experts prefer sticking with standard time year-round over daylight saving time because they say it's more aligned with our body clocks.
The time changes also affect sleep schedules and can make it hard for kids and their parents to adjust.
By the numbers: 54% of Americans say they would prefer standard time year-round over daylight saving time, according to a new Gallup poll.
40% of U.S. adults say they are in favor of daylight saving time, while 6% are uncertain.
In 1999, 73% favored daylight saving time, Gallup said.
Why do we have daylight saving time in the U.S.
Flashback: The U.S. first adopted daylight saving time in 1918 as a way to conserve energy.
In the 1970s, the last time Congress made daylight saving time permanent, the decision was reversed in less than a year because the early morning darkness proved dangerous for school children, and public sentiment changed.
States push to get rid of time changes
At least 31 states have considered or are considering 67 bills or resolutions related to daylight saving time in 2025, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures ' tracker.
The legislation is divided between state lawmakers advocating permanent standard time and those who would enact year-round standard time.
Between the lines: Federal law says states can unilaterally move to standard time but must have the approval of Congress to adopt year-round daylight saving time.
Which states don't observe daylight saving time
Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time, except the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona.
U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the Virgin Islands, observe permanent standard time.
Fall forward 2025: Next time change
What's next: If federal legislation is not approved, clocks will "fall back" to standard time on Sunday, Nov. 2.
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