This weekend’s US clock change is a problem, and there’s a deep divide on how to fix it

Americans across the country are preparing to adjust their clocks forward one hour early Sunday morning for daylight saving time, a biannual ritual that continues to spark debate despite widespread public dissatisfaction.

The transition, which occurs at 2 a.m. Sunday in most states, will create a shortened 23-hour day, disrupting sleep patterns, morning routines, and leaving many Americans wondering why the practice continues when polls consistently show most people dislike it.

“What are we doing this for?” asks Genie Lauren, a 41-year-old healthcare worker from New York City who describes “white-knuckling it” through winter months until daylight extends into evening hours. Lauren’s frustration reflects a growing national sentiment against the twice-yearly time change.

According to a recent AP-NORC poll, only about one in ten American adults favor the current system. Approximately half actively oppose changing clocks twice a year, while the remaining 40 percent express no strong opinion. Among those who want change, most prefer making daylight saving time permanent rather than standard time.

The United States has experimented with various time-keeping approaches since 1883, when railroads standardized time zones. Daylight saving time has been implemented intermittently since then, including nationwide during World War II and briefly in 1974. Globally, about 140 countries have utilized daylight saving time at some point, with roughly half continuing the practice today.

Despite public sentiment favoring change, the path forward remains complicated by competing interests and regional differences. Since 2018, nineteen states have passed legislation supporting permanent daylight saving time, primarily across the South and Northwest. However, congressional approval is required for states to implement this change.

“There’s no law we can pass to move the sun to our will,” notes Jay Pea, president of Save Standard Time, an organization advocating for permanent standard time instead.

The U.S. Senate passed legislation in 2022 to make daylight saving time permanent, but a similar House bill hasn’t reached a vote. Representative Mike Rogers (R-Alabama), who regularly introduces such legislation, points to resistance from industries like airlines, which want to avoid scheduling complexities that would result from a change.

Representative Greg Steube (R-Florida) has proposed a compromise: “Why not just split the baby? Move it 30 minutes so it would be halfway between the two.” While this approach might gather bipartisan support, it would place the U.S. out of sync with most countries, though India and Nepal employ similar non-standard time offsets.

Sleep experts and health researchers generally advocate for permanent standard time rather than daylight saving time. Dr. Karin Johnson, vice president of Save Standard Time and a neurology professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, emphasizes that “Morning light is what’s really critical for setting our circadian rhythms each day.”

Kenneth Wright, director of the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at the University of Colorado, points to research showing increased risks of fatal vehicle crashes, heart attacks, and strokes in the days following the spring time change.

Currently, only Arizona (except for the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii opt out of daylight saving time. Several states have recently considered bills to adopt permanent standard time, but most include provisions requiring neighboring states to make the same change, creating additional hurdles to implementation.

The golf industry opposes permanent standard time, as it would reduce evening playing hours, while broadcasters worry about scheduling confusion across state lines with different time policies.

Scott Yates, who runs the advocacy website Lock the Clock, proposes that the federal government end the time changes within two years, allowing states to choose either permanent standard or daylight saving time.

Until a solution emerges, Yates offers practical advice for the upcoming adjustment: “If you’re the boss, tell all your employees on Monday that they can come in an hour later. 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.”