Americans will lose an hour of sleep this weekend as clocks “spring forward” to start daylight saving time.
The time change takes effect Sunday, March 8, at 2 a.m., when clocks across most of the United States move ahead by one hour. The shift marks the beginning of the daylight saving period, bringing later sunsets and more evening daylight through the spring and summer months.
While the change means one less hour of sleep Saturday night, it also signals the gradual arrival of longer days as the country moves toward warmer weather and the start of spring.
Not every part of the United States observes daylight saving time. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the practice is not used in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and most of Arizona.
The twice-yearly clock change has long been debated, with critics arguing the adjustment can disrupt sleep patterns and create health concerns.
Researchers have found that the sudden loss of an hour of sleep can interfere with the body’s internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm. Studies have linked the shift to short-term sleep deprivation, which some research suggests may contribute to increases in car accidents, heart attacks and higher blood pressure during the days following the time change.
Some health experts have called for an end to the practice. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has stated that the seasonal clock changes should be abolished.
The debate has reached lawmakers in recent years, with proposals introduced at both the federal and state levels to adopt a permanent time system. Some advocates support permanent daylight saving time, which would keep evenings brighter year-round, while others favor permanent standard time, which aligns more closely with the body’s natural sleep cycle.
Efforts to enact a permanent change have so far stalled in Congress, leaving the traditional schedule in place.
For now, most Americans will continue adjusting their clocks twice each year.
After Sunday’s change, daylight saving time will remain in effect until it ends Nov. 1, when clocks will “fall back” one hour and return to standard time.
Source: PennLive