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How to Survive the Stupid Spring Forward of Daylight Saving Time
Scientists say we should end Daylight Saving Time and switch to permanent Standard Time. Congress disagrees. Here’s how you can best sleep through the debate.
Ed. Note: This story was originally published in 2023. It has been updated to reflect the correct date for the spring-forward time change in 2025. Unfortunately, nothing else has changed with the DST issue, so the article remains as relevant this year as it was then.
With time, perhaps the U.S. Congress will wake up to the reality that Daylight Saving Time is bad for personal sleep and public health and safety. For now, legislators are asleep at the wheel, just as many Americans might be after being forced to spring forward Sunday, March 9, 2025, potentially losing an hour of sleep.
The short sleep will have immediate and lasting negative effects.
“In a nation that is already sleep deprived, losing an extra hour can make a huge impact,” says Harneet Walia, MD, a sleep specialist with the Cleveland Clinic.
Just one night of insufficient sleep can significantly impair next-day memory, decision-making and mood. Some evidence suggests the bad effects can persist for a week or…
