Daylight saving time kicks off in early March, and when the clock strikes 2 a.m. on Sunday, the time moves forward to 3 a.m. for most of the country. People who use their cellphone to tell time shouldn’t have to do anything beforehand, as the change should occur automatically. But those who rely on an alarm clock’s wake-up call should set the time forward one hour before going to bed.
For those looking for clarification on sleep time: Yes, you do lose an hour of sleep. On the plus side, though, you can an extra hour of daylight.
However, not everyone will see their clocks change. People in Arizona, excluding those within the Navajo Nation, don’t observe daylight saving time, and Hawaii does not either. Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands also don’t change their clocks twice a year.
Some people think daylight saving time was intended to help farmers by giving them an extra hour of light, but it’s actually rooted in energy conservation. With the sun setting an hour later in the evening, people need one less hour of electricity for lights in their home, according to the Department of Transportation.
Of course, electricity is also used to run household appliances and sources of entertainment, such as TVs and gaming consoles. But with an extra hour of sun, people can enjoy outside entertainment instead and further conserve energy.
Over the years, states have floated the idea of breaking from the biannual time change, and on Monday, Georgia senators passed a bill to put the matter on November’s ballot. A corresponding bill hasn’t made it to a House vote, but if it appears on the ballot, voters would be asked if Georgia should keep observing the time change, switch to year-round standard time or switch to year-round daylight saving time.
The vote is nonbinding, so the people’s decision wouldn’t result in any immediate changes. If voters indicate they want to change how Georgia handles the time change, legislation would need to be drafted. In addition, a change to permanent daylight saving time would require congressional approval.
