Summertime is approaching. When is it? What you should know – NBC4 Washington

Fall is here and that means it’s time to turn back the clocks.

Yes, that’s right, summer time is just around the corner. Here’s what you need to know:

When is summer time?

Daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March when clocks are set forward one hour.

On November 3, 2024, the first Sunday of the month, the clocks will be set back one hour – so we gain one hour.

Why is there summer time?

Daylight Saving Time was first officially established in the United States in 1918, established to allow an additional hour of sunlight during the summer months.

The move is intended to give summer beachgoers and farmers more sunlight when it matters most.

Which states do not observe daylight saving time?

Hawaii and Arizona (excluding the Navajo Indian Reservation) are the only two states that do not observe daylight saving time. The U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands also do not follow daylight saving time.

Can daylight saving time be canceled?

Yes, and there are several ways a state can get out of daylight saving time.

First, under the Uniform Time Act of 1966, states are permitted to opt out of Daylight Saving Time by passing a law in their state.

A second possibility is for the federal government to pass a law that either abolishes daylight saving time or makes it permanent, thereby avoiding the need for a time change.

Benjamin Franklin is credited for many things, but establishing Daylight Saving Time shouldn’t be one of them.

In recent years, a bill has been introduced in the Senate that would make daylight saving time permanent and allow for additional hours of sunshine in both summer and winter.

The bill, called the Sunshine Protection Act, passed unanimously in the Senate in 2022 but failed in the House of Representatives.

Does summer time affect your health?

Sleep experts say daylight saving time impacts people’s circadian rhythms. This is the body’s 24-hour rhythm that determines when your body becomes sleepy.

When the clocks “spring forward” in March and people lose an hour of sleep, research has shown that there is a spike in fatal car accidents in the days immediately following.

Lack of sleep is also linked to health problems, including heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and numerous other problems.