Friday marks the last 6 PM sunset in New York City until next year. This signifies the arrival of daylight saving time, bringing shorter days and longer nights. The transition to earlier sunsets has been gradual throughout the month, with sunrises also occurring later.
On November 3rd, daylight saving time ends, and standard time returns. Daylight saving time began on March 10th, and although there have been congressional efforts to make it permanent, no legislation has been passed.
Under federal law, daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November in most of the United States. This year, that date is November 3rd, with clocks turning back one hour at 2 AM. Daylight Saving Time will resume on March 9th, 2025.
Daylight saving time involves adjusting clocks forward one hour in the spring (“spring forward”) and backward one hour in the fall (“fall back”). The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established the current start and end dates for daylight saving time. Originally, clocks were adjusted on the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October. The change was implemented partly to allow children to trick-or-treat in daylight.
Daylight saving time lasts 34 weeks in the U.S., from early-to-mid March to early November, in observing states. Benjamin Franklin satirically suggested the concept of daylight saving time in a 1784 essay to conserve candles. However, Germany was the first to adopt it in 1916 during World War I to save fuel. The U.S. adopted it in 1918 but abolished it after the war. It became standard with the Uniform Time Act of 1966, establishing standard time zones and the practice of adjusting clocks.
Almost all U.S. states observe daylight saving time, except for Arizona (with some exceptions for Native American territories) and Hawaii. U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, do not observe it. Standard time is the local time when daylight saving time is not in use. Over 60% of countries use standard time year-round.
Standard time aligns better with the body’s natural clock, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Natural light and darkness cycles strongly influence our internal clock. Aligning with these cycles improves sleep and overall health. The AASM advocates for permanent standard time due to the negative health effects of seasonal time changes. However, the Department of Transportation cites benefits of daylight saving time, including energy savings, reduced traffic accidents and crime, and increased outdoor activity in daylight hours.