It’s almost that time of year to turn back your clocks: Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3. For most people, that means an extra hour of sleep on a Saturday night. But did you know that not all states “move forward” and “retreat”?

There are two US states that do not observe daylight saving time: Arizona and Hawaii.

But, Daylight saving time is a hot topicand several other states want to change the long-standing protocol to allow people to get more daylight during the spring and summer. Nearly 63 percent of Americans would prefer to get rid of daylight saving time altogether, according to survey Surveys by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

At least 30 states have considered (or will consider) legislation or resolutions related to daylight saving time. National Conference of State Legislatures.

What Are the Origins of Daylight Saving Time?

Daylight saving time in the United States changes twice a year: on the second Sunday in March, clocks go forward one hour, and on the first Sunday in November, clocks go back one hour.

Benjamin Franklin is sometimes mistakenly credited with inventing daylight saving time. Although he is the inventor of many things, daylight saving time is not one of them; In his 1784 article, he suggested that Parisians change their sleep schedules to save on candles and lamp oil. An Economical Project according to Franklin Institute.

The history of daylight saving time is complex: Worldwide daylight saving time can be traced back to 1916, when Germany introduced it in an effort to save energy during World War I. The United States followed suit in 1918, but the wartime measure was repealed seven months later. Daylight saving time was reinstated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942 during World War II and ended in 1945.

Timekeeping has become quite chaotic as states and municipalities switch between daylight saving time and standard time.

In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, making biannual clock switching universal. However, Hawaii and Arizona both opted to keep standard time all year round.

Several changes to DST have occurred since 1966, but mostly only the start and end dates have changed, according to NCSL.

Which States Do Not Have Daylight Saving Time?

Arizona and Hawaii are two states that do not observe Daylight Saving Time. The territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands also do not observe DST.

Arizona tried daylight saving time, but the legislature repealed it in 1968, arguing that the desert didn’t need more daylight because it meant using more energy in scorching hot summers.

Hawaii’s proximity to the equator means the amount of sun the islands receive doesn’t vary much throughout the year, so the Aloha State has also opted out of daylight saving time.

Which States Want to Get Rid of Daylight Saving Time?

Federal law does not currently allow states to adopt full-time daylight saving time. State legislatures have considered more than 700 bills and resolutions to switch to year-round daylight saving time if permitted by federal law, according to NCSL. But Congress will still need to act before states can switch to full-time DST.

Here are 20 states that have passed laws or resolutions over the past six years that would allow year-round daylight saving time, if Congress authorizes the transition and, in some cases, nearby states enact the same law. legislation.

• Oklahoma
• colorado
• Kentucky
• Alabama
• Georgia
• Minnesota
• mississippi
• Montana
• Idaho
• Louisiana
• Ohio
• South Carolina
• Utah
• wyoming
• Delaware
• Maine
• oregon
• Tennessee
• washington
• Florida

According to NCSL, two states, Massachusetts and Maine, are commissioning studies on daylight saving time.

What are the Pros and Cons of Daylight Saving Time?

The main argument in favor of daylight saving time is that it saves energy. But research questions how significant these savings actually are: 2008 US Department of Energy report Congress was informed that the electricity savings for each day of Extended Daylight Savings Time was 0.5%.

Advocates of daylight saving time also say crime decreases when the weather stays clearer later. Research is light on this, but 2005 Massachusetts Institute of Technology research The report on robberies shows a 7% drop in robberies after the switch to DST. Over the years, stores and some in the tourism industry have said the extra light is good for business.

However, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine published a publication in 2020. position statementHe said the United States should get rid of seasonal time changes and move to a national, fixed, year-round time, preferring standard time because it “best aligns with human circadian biology and provides obvious benefits for public health and safety.” Daylight saving time causes more darkness in the mornings and more light at night, which disrupts the body’s natural rhythm, the academy said.

In the statement published in the newspaper Journal of Clinical Sleep MedicineIt points out that switching between standard time and daylight saving time is linked to a number of health problems, such as an increase in stroke cases, hospital visits due to acute atrial fibrillation, sleep loss, and an increase in traffic deaths by up to 6 percent. The first few days of time switch to daylight saving time.