Clocks across much of the US will move forward an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday for daylight saving time, creating a 23-hour day that throws off sleep schedules, pushes early-morning dog walks into darkness and inspires millions of complaints.
Although polls show that a majority of people dislike the system in which most Americans change the time twice a year, the political steps needed to change the system have not succeeded as opinions are sharply divided on the issue and its potential effects.
Do you want to make daylight saving time permanent? This would mean that the sun rises sometime around 9 a.m. in Detroit during the winter. Do you prefer to stay on standard time all year round? This would mean that the sun will rise at 4:11 am in Seattle in June.
“There’s no law we can pass to make the sun move at will,” said J.P., president of Save Standard Time, an organization dedicated to switching to standard time forever.
AP Audio: This weekend’s US clock change is a problem, and there are deep differences of opinion on how to fix it
People hate changing watches twice a year. We hear more from AP correspondent Lisa Dwyer.
Here’s a look at the debate.
Putting a clock on a rotating planet causes a lot of headaches
Jeannie Lauren spends her winters in New York City and keeps track of the sunrise and sunset until the sun rises so late that she feels like doing anything outside her apartment after work – even going to the movies.
“Most of the year we spend in daylight savings time,” said the 41-year-old health care worker. “What are we doing this for?”
America has tinkered with the clock from time to time since the railroads standardized time zones in 1883. This is what has happened in most parts of the world. About 140 countries have had daylight saving time at some point; Now about half the people do so.
Nearly 1 in 10 American adults support the current system of changing clocks, according to one AP-NORC Poll Held last year. Nearly half oppose that system, and some 4 in 10 had no opinion. If they had to choose, a majority of Americans say they would prefer to make daylight saving time permanent rather than standard time.
A dilemma for policy makers
Since 2018, 19 states – including most of the southern and some northwestern US states – have adopted laws to move toward permanent daylight saving time.
There’s one problem: Congress would need to pass a law to allow states to observe full-time Daylight Saving Time, something that was in effect nationwide during World War II and for an unpopular, brief stint in 1974.
The US Senate passed a bill to move to permanent daylight saving time in 2022. A similar House bill has not been brought up for a vote.
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican from Alabama who introduces such a bill each time, said the airline industry, which does not want changes in scheduling complexity, has been a factor in convincing lawmakers not to take it up.
Florida Republican U.S. Representative Greg Steube is proposing another approach.
“Why not separate the child?” he asked. “Move it forward 30 minutes so it’s halfway between the two.”
Stubbe thinks his bill could get bipartisan support. This change will put the US out of sync with most of the world – although India has adopted a similar approach and in Nepal, the time is 15 minutes ahead of India.
Sleep experts prefer more daylight in the morning
Carin Johnson, vice president of the advocacy group Save Standard Time and professor of neurology at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, said permanent standard time — with the sun directly overhead near noon — would help students, drivers and practically everyone else function better year-round.
“Morning light is really important for setting our circadian rhythm every day,” she said.
Kenneth Wright, professor and director of the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at the University of Colorado, said moving the clocks forward increases the risk of fatal vehicle accidents, heart attacks and strokes in the days following.
“Based on the evidence for our health and welfare and safety, the best option for us now as a country is to choose to go to permanent standard time,” he said.
Barriers prevent change
Of all US states except Arizona navajo nation – And Hawaii currently opts out of Daylight Savings Time.
Over the past two years, a half-dozen states have adopted bills in one legislative chamber to switch to permanent standard time, including Virginia in February. A Virginia House committee this week recommended leaving the issue until 2027.
Most of those measures included warnings that the changes would only take effect if neighboring states also took action. For example, Virginia will go to standard time only if Maryland and Washington, DC do so as well. This may partially answer some concerns from groups including broadcasters who warn of schedule confusion. This would not address the concerns of the golf industry, which opposes full-time standard timing because it would make it harder for people to make rounds in the evening.
Many full daylight time bills contain similar provisions.
Call on states to take decisions
Scott Yates, a Colorado man who runs the website Lock the Clocks, wants the federal government to pass a law to end the twice-a-year clock changes within two years.
Under his plan, states would have to commit to either daylight savings or standard time.
As the clocks continue to change, Yates has some advice.
“If you’re the boss, tell all your employees on Monday they can come in an hour later,” he said. “And if you’re not the boss, tell your boss you think you should come in an hour later on Monday. Sleep in to be safe.”
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Associated Press writer David A. in Jefferson City, Missouri. Lib contributed.