Lose an hour of sleep Sunday: Clocks 'spring forward,' Daylight Saving Time begins

Time to spring forward! Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10.

On Saturday night, March 9, people should set their analog clocks and others that don't automatically adjust forward one hour. Note that most smartphones and electronic devices will automatically adjust at 2 a.m.

The time change means many people will lose an hour of sleep -- but it also means later sunsets!

The idea of Daylight Saving Time is to make better use of natural daylight. Once the clocks spring forward on Sunday, you will notice a later sunset – around 7:30 p.m. instead of 6:30 p.m.

Daylight Saving Time ends in November. By the first day of winter on Dec. 21, the sun will set as early as 5:05 p.m.

The start and end of Daylight Saving Time is also a good reminder to check the batteries in smoke detectors in your home.

Many don't like the idea of changing the clocks, and some scientists say it doesn't make sense health-wise.

Many Americans are already sleep-deprived, and a change in time messes with sleep schedules even more, says Dr. Phyllis Zee, a sleep researcher at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

Chronic sleep deprivation can increase levels of stress hormones that boost heart rate and blood pressure, and of chemicals that trigger inflammation, research suggests.

Daylight Saving Time keeps it lighter later in the evening, but it’s darker in the morning. That’s Fecilia Scott’s choice.

"It would be good if we could have a little down time," Scott told WRAL News. "You know, wind down a little bit and then get rest, versus going to straight to bed."

The other option, Standard Time, means an earlier sunrise but earlier darkness in the evening. That’s what Charman Driver would prefer.

"I’d personally like more light in the morning. I like to get up early and exercise and walk my dogs," Driver said, calling the semiannual time change "antiquated."

A federal law – the Uniform Time Act of 1966 – keeps states from opting out of the time change. But many would like to, especially in the southeastern U.S., where several states have passed laws making Daylight Saving Time permanent if Congress changes the law to allow it.

In May, the North Carolina House passed a similar bill. Sponsor Rep Jason Saine, R-Lincoln, has filed this bill every session for years.

"It's something I've been passionate about all my life because of the way that time change just messes up my whole internal clock," Saine said.

Daylight Saving Time will ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.