It all started with the study of insects. In the 1890s, entomologist George Hudson of Wellington, New Zealand, realized that if he got up earlier on summer mornings, he would have an extra hour to collect insects. He proposed that the members of his scientific society adopt the practice. His idea wasn’t taken very seriously by others. It wasn’t until the First World War that Germany officially adopted it nationally. The thought was that moving the clock would save energy during national stress.

In the 1960s, six months of daylight savings time and six months of standard time was proposed. Candy manufacturers responded by extending that proposal. They reasoned that an extra hour of daylight on Halloween would increase trick-or-treating and candy sales. These days, we have eight months of daylight savings and four months of standard time. Tomorrow is the day of change for much of the world.

The switch has several drawbacks, especially the spring switch, when we all lose an hour of sleep. Statistically, there are more automobile accidents following the spring switch. There are more missed medical appointments. There is an increased incidence of stroke at that time as well. The list of problems is even more intensive, including increased workplace injuries, increased acute cardiovascular events, increased rates of depression, increased miscarriages, increased digestive issues, and increased suicide. The disruption of the circadian rhythm leads to physical, mental, and behavioral changes. The changes can affect appetite, productivity, and the ability to focus.

Behavioral experts recommend avoiding napping during the first days of switching to daylight savings, as naps can further confuse the bodily circadian rhythm.

In the United States, the solution proposed by the medical community is to avoid daylight savings time entirely. Two states, Arizona and Hawaii, don’t observe daylight savings time at all. Their practice is allowed by a loophole in the 58-year-old federal law that requires states to stay on daylight saving time. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 mandates that the entire United States observe daylight savings time. It does allow states to opt out and exempt themselves from the practice by staying on standard time year-round. It does not allow states to permanently establish daylight savings time and remain in that time through the winter.

Nineteen states have passed legislation or resolutions supporting year-round daylight savings time, and at least 30 states considered legislation related to daylight savings time last year. However, none of these laws can take effect until the National Congress repeals the Uniform Time Act. In 2022, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that would do that, but it was never brought to the floor of the House of Representatives.

Connecticut tried to circumvent the national legislation by leaving the Eastern Time Zone and adopting Atlantic Standard Time, which is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time and is used in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. New Hampshire and Massachusetts also proposed a switch to Atlantic Standard Time. A similar proposal was made in Rhode Island but was never adopted.

Idaho, which has two time zones, passed legislation that would move the state to the same time zone if the state of Washington approved permanent daylight savings time. The legislation would make daylight savings time permanent in the northern half of the state that is currently in the Pacific Time Zone and standard time the year round standard in the southern half of the state, giving the entire state the same time year round. Last year, a bill was introduced in the Idaho legislature to establish standard time year-round for the whole state, but it died in committee before being brought to the floor.

In our state, Washington, we have a law establishing permanent daylight savings time that cannot go into effect without the approval of Congress. A proposal to adopt standard time year-round was made in the state senate last year, but it failed to pass.

For now, we’re set to switch times tomorrow morning, rising an hour earlier with the return of daylight savings time. The disruption in our clocks will be intensified for Susan and me this year as I have to get up early on Monday morning to catch a flight to Cleveland for a few days of meetings. That means we’ll have to leave our house at 4 am on Monday, rising earlier to be ready. Our already confused bodies will be even more confused. Susan can come home and nap, but I’ll have a shortened day, rising in Pacific daylight time and going to bed in Eastern daylight time. Then, on Wednesday, when I come home, I’ll have a very long day, rising in Eastern daylight time and arriving at our airport just before midnight Pacific time and getting to bed about an hour later in the wee hours of Thursday morning. I expect my body to be confused most of the week.

To make matters worse, all of the changes and sleep disruptions will not result in me giving any more time to study insects as George Hudson proposed. Furthermore, it won’t result in any energy savings at our home because our electricity comes from solar panels, which produce when the sun rises and do not produce after the sun sets. Our solar production increases and decreases with the length of the day. The solar system on our house produces more electricity than we consume for about 250 days each year and less than we consume during the winter, so the change in the clocks roughly corresponds to the time when we break even each spring. Our state's net metering laws allow us to bank excess electricity with our utility, meaning that the utility does not pay us for the extra electricity we put into the grid most of the year. We do not pay when we take more from the grid than we produce during the winter.’

Many clocks will automatically make the change to daylight savings time, but a few still require attention. At our house, clocks in the cars and kitchen appliances require adjustment. Our phones will alert us if we forget, which is unlikely. At your home, please be careful during the time of change. It causes everyone stress, and despite the advice of experts, a few of us will be taking naps on Sunday afternoon.