It might be a little easier to get to brunch dates and football games this Sunday, when phones honor early risers with an extra hour of sleep before alarms go off.
The downside: Next week in most of the U.S., the sun will set long before many people leave the office, leaving them running errands or walking around in complete darkness. Starting November 5, daylight saving time will end and standard time will enter, which will last until March 10.
There’s no need to wait until midnight to prepare for the time change that marks early Sunday morning, when 2 a.m. becomes 1 a.m. Before it’s bedtime on Saturday night, turn back the clock on your microwave, oven, car, or any other device that’s not yet smart. enough to make the leap on his own.
In addition to schedule hiccups and disruptions to sleep habits, experts say the twice-a-year ritual can have more serious effects on human health.
Many Americans are already sleep-deprived, and a time change impacts sleep schedules even more, says Dr. Phyllis Zee, a sleep researcher at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, though she says “backing up” and gaining an extra hour is usually easier. in the body than “jump forward” and lose one.
Chronic lack of sleep can increase levels of stress hormones that increase heart rate and blood pressure, and chemicals that trigger inflammation, research suggests.
“Just that hour can change the amount of sleep you get, the quality of sleep you get,” Zee said. Disordered sleep can affect people’s ability to multitask, stay alert, and even maintain balance, making them more prone to accidents.
Molly Hart, spokesperson for AAA’s Auto Club Group, warned that there may be an increase in accidents on the road after the time change.
“Now that daylight saving time is coming to an end, what people really need to focus on is driving now in the afternoon, when it’s darker before,” and when they may feel drowsy, he said.
Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time.
Some members of Congress have pushed to end the back-and-forth and make daylight saving time permanent.
In March 2022, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan bill called the Sunshine Protection Act, but it stalled in the House. The bill was reintroduced by Senator Marco Rubio in March of this year and then referred to committee, where it remained dormant.
