Time to ‘fall back’ but why do we do it?

This weekend is “fall back,” the time each year when most people in the United States set their clocks one hour earlier as daylight savings time ends.

It’s a rule that seems arbitrary and unnecessary to many, and research shows it can have a negative impact on our sleep cycles and overall health.

so why do we do it? Here’s a look at the history behind Daylight Savings Time in the US

When does time change?

This year it will be at 2am on November 3rd, which is this Sunday. It is one of two times a year that the time changes. The exact days are set by federal law and have changed over the years. The current dates came into effect in 2007 as part of Energy Policy Act passed when George W. Bush was president.

Why does time change?

Daylight saving time was originally intended to reduce energy costs in times of war. It was first signed into law in the United States during World War I on March 1, 1918, according to the US Department of Defense. The law was repealed after the end of the war and reintroduced during the Second World War. This led to it being known as “wartime”.

There were no fixed rules about time throughout the nation from the end of World War II through 1965. The Uniform time law from 1966, daylight saving time was put into federal law and established official time zones, ending confusion over what time it was in different parts of the country.

Does daylight saving time really save energy?

A 2008 study by the US Department of Energy, after the summer vacation “season” was extended by four weeks under President Bush, found that electricity savings during the extra weeks was about 0.5% per day or 0.03% of the total electricity consumption for the whole year.

Critics say any savings are minimal and driven by larger economic motives, including lobbying by retail companies who argue that daylight saving time leads to more people out shopping and other activities in the evening.

Whose idea was that?

There is also debate about where the idea of ​​summer time came from in the first place. Some give a nod to Benjamin Franklin, but many historians credit a New Zealand man who first proposed daylight savings time in a newspaper from 1895. Germany was the first country to implement it, in 1916 during the First World War.

How does changing time affect our health?

Researchers have linked changing time twice a year to several health and safety concerns. A study in 2016 showed, for example, that the rate of stroke is 8% higher in the first two days after each time change. A 2020 study links the spring change to a 6% increase traffic accidents. And a 2017 study found that the fall change resulted in an 11% increase in symptoms of depression reported at the hospitals.

Doctors think the reason for these effects are due to a lack of sunlight, as well as disturbances of circadian rhythms. Some experts believe that it would be better to stick to daylight saving time year-round, while others believe that standard time would be best all the time.

What is the public opinion about ‘falling back’ and ‘leaping forward’?

ONE map out taken in 2022 by YouGovAmerica found that 59% of the US population supported daylight saving time year-round. Nineteen percent were opposed, while 22% were undecided.

A change to temporary make summer time permanent for two years amid a nationwide gas shortage. In 1974, it was reversed after just a few months due to public outcry that included concerns about children going to school in the dark and an increase in traffic accidents.