Summer time 2024: When will it change again?

With mid-September, the beginning of autumn and the end of summer time are approaching.

The change of seasons brings shorter days and longer nights – a sure sign that it will soon be time to change the clocks and switch back to Eastern Standard Time.

Americans welcome daylight saving time every year on the second Sunday in March.

To enjoy an extra hour of daylight, we set the clock forward one hour from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.

This year, daylight saving time began on March 10 and ends on Sunday, November 3.

At this point, the time will go back from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. and we will welcome Eastern Standard Time.

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According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Eastern Standard Time lasts only about 35% of the year, while Daylight Saving Time lasts 65% of the year, or 238 days.

“In the United States, this results in more hours of sunshine in the evenings during the warmest months,” NIST reported.

In the USA, this tradition was officially introduced in 1918 under the name “Fast Time”, but was challenged again less than a year later.

Although most parts of the country observe daylight saving time, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Arizona (except the Navajo Nation Reservation) do not.

History of Daylight Saving Time in the USA

The idea of ​​“springing ahead” was first introduced in the United States in 1918. Although it was opposed less than a year later, it continued to be used in cities such as Boston, New York and Pittsburgh.

The idea was reintroduced in 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt under the term “war time” and remained in place until 1945. However, it was not until the Uniform Time Act of 1966 that a framework for a nationwide daylight saving time schedule was created.

Between 1945 and 1966 there were no uniform rules for changing the time.

Daylight saving time controversy: Which is better – DST or EST?

There is disagreement about what is better: standard time or daylight saving time.

And the twice-yearly time change is not exactly a popular idea among the population.

A CBS News poll of 1,612 adults found that most Americans dislike the time change, and 46% said they would prefer daylight saving time year-round.

Only 21% preferred the current system of switching back and forth, while 33% were in favor of keeping EST year-round.

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Sleep medicine specialist Karin Johnson of Baystate Medical Center in Springfield said her research on sleep cycles suggests standard time is the better option. That's because adding permanent EST can improve brain function, mood and concentration, and reduce the risk of developing long-term health problems.

“The time zones were designed so that the sun is as close to the zenith as possible at noon,” Johnson said in 2022.

“Daylight saving time shifts the clocks by an hour, so that sunrises and sunsets are later. Unfortunately, our bodies do not adjust to the time of day, but to solar time.”