Good morning! If you’re noticing a bit more morning light today, that’s because last night, we set our clocks back one hour as we transitioned from Daylight Saving Time (DST) to Eastern Standard Time (EST). This time shift, traditionally occurring on the first Sunday in November, helps to bring earlier daylight during the morning hours, which can ease early commutes and morning routines as we move into the darker winter months.
Daylight Saving Time was initially introduced as a way to conserve energy by making the most of natural daylight. Though it saw different iterations over time, it was formally adopted in the U.S. during World War I to reduce fuel consumption by extending daylight hours. The practice returned during World War II and was standardized again under the Uniform Time Act in 1966. The rationale behind DST is largely about using daylight more effectively and, initially, saving energy. According to Matt Noyes, President of 1DegreeOutside, the extra morning light provided by DST can also help reduce safety risks for morning commuters, especially in the darker, shorter days of fall and winter.
This time of year, as days shorten, we turn the clocks back one hour to align our daylight hours with our waking and working hours. While DST aims to make the most of sunlight during the summer, returning to standard time allows for better alignment of daylight with typical morning schedules in the winter.
Proponents of the time change highlight several benefits: more light in the morning in late fall and winter, which can improve safety and mood, and more light during active hours in spring and summer with DST, which can encourage outdoor activities. However, critics argue that the biannual clock changes disrupt sleep and can impact productivity and mood, especially during the adjustment period.
If we didn’t adjust our clocks each November, mornings would be considerably darker as we approach the winter solstice, particularly in northern parts of the country. Imagine sunrise of 8:13 AM in Boston by late December, and 8:53 AM in someplace like Cleveland, Ohio! This was attempted before; in the early 1970s, during the Nixon administration, the U.S. tried a year-round DST schedule. However, it quickly became clear that the darker winter mornings created increased risks, especially for children commuting to school, which reportedly led to morning accidents in the dark. This experiment was ultimately deemed a failure, and we returned to the biannual change.
Even with history indicating increased risks, many still advocate for ending DST, citing the downsides of disrupted sleep and questioning the value of energy savings in a modern world where we’re less dependent on daylight to dictate activity. Although several states have proposed or enacted legislation to keep DST year-round, nationwide change requires federal approval.
While the benefits of Daylight Saving Time are rooted in energy conservation and alignment of daylight with activity, many experts argue the disruptions from clock changes may outweigh these advantages. Studies indicate that the time shifts can cause sleep disruptions, impacting health and productivity in ways that are now better understood than when DST was first adopted. Additionally, any modern energy savings are modest due to changes in technology and lifestyle, reducing the original value of the shift.
On the other hand, reverting to a single standard time year-round brings its own challenges. For much of the country, permanent Daylight Saving Time would mean very dark mornings in winter, while permanent Standard Time would shorten evening daylight during summer. If the time change were eliminated, many regions might have to compromise on the best use of natural daylight, depending on the season.
The final decision boils down to weighing seasonal daylight alignment against the health and productivity impacts of twice-yearly time shifts. Until a clear nationwide preference emerges, clock changes continue to strike a middle ground, giving us the best balance of light across the seasons.
