This week, the U.S. Senate voted to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.
While many people enjoy the extra hour of light in the evenings, sleep experts have mixed feelings on the idea.
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Two of the country's top sleep doctors agree that it's time to stop changing our clocks – but say sticking with standard time might be a better idea.
Polls show most Americans also don’t like changing the clocks.
Dr. Sujay Kansagra, head of Duke’s pediatric sleep program, agrees. "I'm a big fan of not switching. I think the switch by an hour twice a year wreaks havoc for many of us, particularly for parents and for young children."
Dr. Douglas Kirsch, a professor at the University of North Carolina and a past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a group that's calling for an end to time changes. However, he says settling on permanent Daylight Saving Time would be problematic.
"I can understand the appeal. It's light later. Everybody's happy to have time after work, after dinner to go out and do things," Kirsch said. "On the other hand, that doesn't match very well with our human biology."
The United States already tried this once, during the energy crisis back in 1974.
"And after about 16 months, we scrapped it, because you know, kids having to wake up in the dark, constantly go to school in the dark, that raises safety issues," said Kansagra.
Under permanent Daylight Saving Time, it’ll remain dark until 8 a.m. in the winter, and even later in some areas. Both doctors agree that’s not good for our body clocks.
"If it's really dark in the morning, your body tends to want to shift and slowly slowly go to bed later and wake up later," says Kansagra. "And so the concern is we'd all turn into kind of that teenager-type sleep pattern, you know, wanting to go to bed late and sleep in."
Kirsch says to perform best, humans need consistent sleep – and that requires light in the morning and dark in the evening.
"In the end, the time that matches best to our biology is standard time for most areas of the country," said Kirsch.
How do Americans feel about it?
Recent polling showed that most Americans – 7 out of 10 – dislike the twice-a-year time change.
If we want to stop switching back and forth, the question is: Where should we keep the clocks, Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time?
Currently, Arizona and Hawaii stay in Standard Time all year. So do places like American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
They don’t “spring forward” – and subsequently never “fall back”.
Multiple states have passed laws to stay in Daylight Saving Time year-round, but it’s all for show. They're only "making a point," because, regardless of their new state laws on clocks, it’s still against federal law.
How would permanent Daylight Saving Time impact you?
Before you hit “purchase” on that new pair of Ray Bans, you should know – the bill still has to pass the House and get the president’s signature. Since this was so unexpected, no one really knows how either are leaning on the issue.
However, if it becomes law, we will stay in Daylight Saving Time all year starting in 2023.
So, what would that look like for you?
Well, most of the year, you wouldn’t notice. But when winter rolls around, the sun will rise later and later in the morning, meaning that morning commute could be dark.
Typically in January, when our days are the shortest, the sun comes up around 7:25 a.m. and sets around 5:15 p.m.
But if we stay in Daylight Saving Time, the sun won’t rise until 8:25 a.m. and go down around 6:15 p.m.
It's worth noting that the U.S. tried permanent Daylight Saving Time in the 70s – and people hated it.
A clipping from the Washington Post from January of '74 shows kids getting off the school bus in the pitch black. Parents and students hated waiting by the side of the road in total darkness during winter months.
By October of that year – the experiment was over.
A headline in the New York Times from October 1, 1974, read: Senate Vote Returns to Standard Time.
Gerald Ford signed the new law, and just like that – we sprung back to springing back.