As autumn continues, the annual end of daylight saving time approaches. In 2025, clocks will “fall back” one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 2. This change signals the return to standard time, providing an extra hour of sleep for many while also causing daylight to fade earlier in the evening across the United States.
Daylight saving time was first established in the U.S. with the Standard Time Act of 1918, a measure intended to conserve energy during World War I by maximizing daylight hours. The system was later standardized nationwide by the Uniform Time Act of 1966, and its schedule was most recently updated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Under current federal law, DST begins on the second Sunday in March and concludes on the first Sunday in November.
While most of the country adheres to this schedule, federal law permits states to opt out. Hawaii and most of Arizona, with the exception of the Navajo Nation, do not observe daylight saving time. Additionally, the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands remain on standard time year-round. Legislative efforts to make daylight saving time permanent, such as the Sunshine Protection Act, have been introduced in Congress but have not yet passed into law.
The biannual time change has drawn criticism from health experts who argue it disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythms. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other health organizations advocate for a permanent switch to standard time, citing research that links the time shift to increased risks of heart attacks, strokes, mood disturbances, and sleep disruption.
The adjustment can be particularly challenging for children. Parenting expert Ericka Souter advises gradually shifting a child’s entire schedule—including meals, naps, and bedtime—by 10 to 15 minutes each day in the week preceding the change. Souter also recommends managing light exposure by keeping bedrooms dark in the morning to prevent earlier sunrises from disrupting sleep, noting that it is normal for children to experience temporary crankiness or appetite changes as they acclimate.
For adults managing the transition, ABC News medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton suggests a similar gradual adjustment to bedtime. If fatigue occurs, short naps of 30 minutes or less before 3 p.m. can be beneficial. Sutton also emphasizes the importance of increasing morning sunlight exposure while limiting alcohol and caffeine intake to help the body adjust to the new schedule.
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