Fall back Washington — and turn your clocks one hour back Sunday.
While the tradition itself is hotly contested among locals and even in national politics (29 states are currently considering legislation to permanently make a change regarding DST), the reality is Washington is still among the states that participate.
- Wait, didn’t we ‘ditch the switch’?
Kind of, but here’s the catch.
The Sunshine Protection Act, sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, would have amended the Uniform Time Act of 1966 and allow states to adopt permanent daylight saving time.
The bill was sent to the House, but nothing has been done with it since March 2021 — so we are still adjusting our clocks twice each year.
Great question.
Daylight saving time was established in the U.S. in 1918 as an effort to save energy during World War I, which ended later that year. It was mandatory again during World War II, but afterward states had the authority to decide whether to observe it, and if so, could pick the start and end dates.
As you can imagine, this caused widespread time discrepancies, so the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established a start and end date, but states still had the choice of whether to observe it.
Over 70 countries around the world participate in daylight saving, though in the U.S., more states are considering a change. Sleep experts and biologists agree the twice-yearly change is not in line with human’s natural circadian rhythms but disagree on whether to adopt year-round standard time or daylight saving time.
We will “spring forward” and adjust our clocks by one hour on the second Sunday in March 2024.
If you know you are affected by the time change, here are some tips from the Farmers’ Almanac to help manage your sleep and circadian rhythm:
- In the days following the time change, stop drinking caffeinated beverages four to six hours before bedtime. Avoid alcohol in the evening. And if you exercise, avoid workouts within four hours of bedtime.
- Get at least seven hours of sleep on the days before and after the time change. If you have trouble with the time change, help your body slowly adjust by shifting bedtime 15 to 20 minutes each night.
- On the days around the time change, eat at the same time or even a little early. Try to shift your mealtime forward 15 minutes for a few days in a row to help ease the transition. If you’re craving a snack, choosing foods high in protein, not carbs, can help.
- If you’re tired, take a catnap (no longer than 20 minutes) during the day instead of continuing without any sleep.
