While spring weather has been a near constant in Delaware for the past couple of weeks, we’re getting one step closer to the true spring season with the approach of daylight saving time.
Or one hour closer, anyway.
Each spring, those who observe daylight saving time set clocks ahead one hour in order to make use of the extra sunlight received in the spring, summer and fall evening, according to timeanddate.com. Advocates of the practice say brighter afternoons and early evenings help stimulate the economy, though the practice originally began to save fuel during World War I.
Taking a leap forward toward spring sounds great, right? Just remember to plan ahead for that hour of lost sleep.
When is daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 12, this year, when clocks in the U.S. will jump to 3 a.m. once the short hand strikes 2 a.m. The change will be in effect until Sunday, Nov. 5, at 2 a.m., when clocks are scheduled to fall back to 1 a.m. More on that in a minute.
Who observes daylight saving time?
Over 70 countries use daylight saving time, fewer than 40% of all countries in the world, and many have different beginning and end dates. More than 1 billion people participate in the phenomenon each year, according to timeanddate.com.
The only U.S. regions to not participate in daylight saving time are Hawaii, parts of Arizona, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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Who’s in charge of time?
Surprisingly, the U.S. Department of Transportation is in charge of daylight saving time and all time zones in the U.S.
“The oversight of time zones was assigned to DOT because time standards are important for many modes of transportation,” according to the department’s website.
The department is a proponent of the practice as they say it conserves energy.
Are daylight saving time clock changes going away?
The Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 was passed by the Senate and awaits a vote by the House. If approved by Congress and voted into law, daylight saving time would become the official standard time at 2 a.m. on Nov. 5, 2023, according to USA TODAY.
That would mean no more changing the clocks forward or back. (And no more related gifs and memes.)
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States may exempt themselves by state law in accordance with Uniform Time Act, as amended.
Some opponents of the practice of changing the clocks twice a year argue that it is not healthy and disrupts sleep patterns.
What to do for daylight saving time
At least for now, Delaware remains a participant of daylight saving time and will spring forward next month.
Clocks will jump ahead on March 12.
Since most of our computers, smartphones and DVRs automatically change the time for us, it’s not as much of a chore as it used to be. Unless you have smart appliances, microwaves and ovens are on the short list of household items that will need a manual adjustment, as well as manual clocks.
If you’re already groaning about the lack of sleep to come on the day of daylight saving time, it might be worth setting an earlier bedtime that night.
Doyle Rice of USA Today contributed to the report.
