Embrace the Fall Back: New Insights on Daylight Saving Time

Wed Oct 29 2025 02:49:05 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As daylight saving time ends, Americans prepare for an extra hour of sleep. Experts emphasize the importance of light exposure and propose keeping standard time year-round for better health.

Daylight saving time concludes this Sunday at 2 a.m., prompting Americans to set their clocks back an hour. While many welcome the extra hour of sleep, experts from Stanford University highlight the adverse effects of time changes on our health. Advocates argue for a shift to permanent standard time, aligning better with our biological rhythms. Increasing awareness about the health impacts of sleep disruption is crucial, especially as seasonal affective disorder may affect many during shorter days.

Prepare for a comforting extra hour of sleep as America 'falls back' into standard time this Sunday. However, don't forget to bask in some morning sunlight, which can facilitate a smoother reset of your body's internal clock.

Daylight saving time wraps up at 2 a.m. local time Sunday, urging everyone to set their clocks back an hour before bedtime. Standard time will persist until March 8 when we 'spring forward' again. Despite the anticipated extra hour of sleep, many express discontent with the biannual clock shifts. The adjustment to daylight saving time in spring, which costs us an hour’s rest, is typically more challenging, with many lamenting the loss of daylight in the evenings for after-work activities.

Health authorities, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have long called for maintaining standard time throughout the year.

Recent studies conducted by Stanford University reinforce this perspective, indicating that the back-and-forth clock changes are unhealthy. The research suggests that a consistent time approach—preferably standard time—could enhance well-being by better aligning with natural sunlight and our body’s circadian rhythms.

Jamie Zeitzer, co-director at Stanford’s Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences, analogizes the body’s master clock to a conductor orchestrating various organ systems. Inadequate exposure to light can disrupt this harmony, leading to diminished efficiency in vital organs and systems.

Moreover, the brain relies on sunlight and darkness to govern its master clock, determining sleep patterns and alertness throughout the day. Too much evening light, whether from extended daylight saving time or artificial sources, can delay the onset of melatonin production, crucial for inducing sleep.

Time changes, even minimal, can significantly disrupt sleep schedules despite fixed work and school start times. The transition into daylight saving time has been linked to an uptick in vehicle accidents and heart problems, particularly among those with pre-existing sleep issues.

To ease the transition, adjusting bedtime by 15 minutes a night in the days leading up to the change can be beneficial. Exposure to morning sunlight is essential in resetting your circadian rhythm and optimizing sleep health.

Efforts to eliminate the biannual time changes persist, including the stalled Sunshine Protection Act in Congress that aims to make daylight saving time permanent.