We are about to lose an hour of sleep for one night, but gain an hour of daylight. Overnight Saturday into Sunday, March 9/10, daylight saving time (DST) begins.

With advancements in technology, many phones and clock radios set themselves. Some people will have to reset the microwave and oven clocks manually. Good luck resetting yourself or your pet.

Every March, we spring forward, and when November rolls around, we fall back — each one hour; although it was not always that way. For many years, the clocks were changed in April and October.

According to timeanddate.com, most of Arizona and Hawaii do not use DST, and Indiana introduced it in 2006. The United States first observed daylight saving time in 1918. It starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday of November. The current schedule was introduced in 2007 and follows the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

“Historically, there were no uniform rules for DST from 1945 to 1966. This caused widespread confusion, especially in transport and broadcasting. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 aligned the switch dates across the USA for the first time,” according to timeanddate.com. “Following the 1973 oil embargo, the US Congress extended the DST period to ten months in 1974 and eight months in 1975 in an effort to save energy. After the energy crisis was over in 1976, the DST schedule in the US was revised several times. From 1987 to 2006, the country observed DST for about seven months each year.”

Not everybody is a proponent of daylight saving time.

According to enddaylightsavingtime.org, “As would be expected, the US’s entrance into the daylight saving time playing field caused significant opposition and lobbying, particularly by the agriculture industry, which was deeply opposed to the time change during the war. For farmers and other agrarians, it was the sun — not the hands of a clock — that dictated their schedules.”

The enddaylightsavingtime.org website notes pros and cons for the clock change. Pluses include that people are generally happier, extra daylight encourages people to be more active, and crime goes down as a result of the extra nighttime light.

“United States actually extended the period of daylight saving to cover Halloween a few years ago in order to give trick-or-treaters more time outside in the daylight. We have lobbyists from the candy industry to thank for this,” according to the enddaylightsavingtime.org site.

Then there are the detriments.

“Even though the roads are safer during daylight saving time, there is an uptick in accidents when the clocks change. Most studies agree the greatest increase is seen during the spring, and point to the hour of lost sleep as the primary cause. Researchers note a six percent increase in accidents during the six days following the change to daylight saving time,” according to the pros and cons piece.

A Cost To Saving Daylight

“Economists have crunched the numbers on financial losses that surround the process of switching the clocks, i.e. the ‘opportunity cost.’ The mere act of physically adjusting all our clocks costs the US about $2 billion every year, based on what each person loses at the average hourly rate by spending ten minutes adjusting clocks,” according to enddaylightsavingtime.org.

A November 2018 National Geographic article by Erin Blakemore, “Why Do We Have Daylight Saving Time? 100 Years Of History,” explains why daylight saving time varies in Arizona: “Daylight saving time indifference causes one US state—Hawaii—to brush off the time change entirely. Arizona, where scorching temperatures often make night the only bearable time to be outside, also said no to moving its clocks around, because its residents preferred to savor the cool nighttime hours.”

“Today, the idea of springing forward and falling back is a bit more controversial, in part because it no longer really saves energy. But when you hear from a time-change skeptic, consider the source and where they live. If they’re from a more northerly place, they may be inclined to like saving daylight more,” according to the National Geographic article.

Complications

Indiana was a complicated place to be until 2005.

“Before 2006, most of Indiana did not observe Daylight Saving Time. However, some counties decided to use DST, creating confusion about what time it was around spring and fall,” according to timeanddate.com.

Imagine working in a part of the state that used DST and living in the part that did not.

“To avoid the confusion, Indiana passed a bill in 2005 ensuring that the entire state would use DST from April 2006, regardless of the time zone,” according to that same website.

The change in time throws many people off. It also affects pets. In a pethealthnetwork.com article, “How Does Daylight Savings Time Affect Your Dog?” by D. Ernie Ward, DVM, the indication is that dogs like their routines and may struggle to adapt to the sudden change, but that it is best to hold firm when it comes time to go out, eat, and go to bed.

“He may stare at you quizzically and tell you that he’s not ready. Don’t listen to him. The sooner you lock into the new schedule, the sooner you’ll be acclimatized and rested. And who couldn’t use a little more sleep?” the article reads. “If you have a dog that has difficulty sleeping or is extremely sensitive to time changes, ask your veterinarian about using a nutritional supplement such as melatonin or relaxing scents. Longer walks or more playtime can help improve sleep quality and patterns.”

The spring forward and fall back clock-setting times are commonly used as reminders to change batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission advises that people check them monthly.

While this twice-a-year clock change may keep some homes safer just because of the reminder to switch batteries, it remains to be seen if daylight saving time will continue.

“As with anything that impacts everyone’s lives, there is considerable discussion over whether the process of changing the clocks for daylight saving time has outlived its purpose,” according to enddaylightsavingtime.org.

Some people may need an extra cup of coffee to get their day started, but maybe those longer days are worth it. Besides, mark your calendar for Sunday, November 3, when we will get that hour back.