Your Ultimate Guide To Daylight Saving In USA

Have you ever spent the first few minutes of your morning hitting the alarm clock, wishing you could turn back time and get an additional hour of good sleep? Then, let us be the bearer of good news. There is a way for you to get this superpower called Daylight Saving Time that several countries have been using under your nose. Termed Daylight Saving Time, this concept allows us to get more time in the sun and catch up (or fall back) with the natural course of the sun. In this blog, we aim to cover everything about Daylight Saving in USA, so you know what to do once you’re there. 

What is Daylight Saving in the USA?

Daylight Saving Time, abbreviated as DST, was first introduced by America’s Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin. In an essay, he suggested implementing Daylight Saving in USA to enjoy more natural light. This meant people would rise an hour earlier in the springs and summers. Understanding the America Daylight Saving Time can be tricky, but is essential to know about it. Going forward, you can uncover more information about Daylight Savings meaning, and everything else there is to know about it.  

History of Daylight Saving in the USA

The concept of America Daylight Saving time was first introduced in the year 1784 in the US. In an essay written by Benjamin Franklin, it was understood that Parisians could save on candles by getting out of bed earlier in the morning, making use of the natural morning light instead. This gave birth to the concept of Daylight Saving in USA. Additionally, during World War I, the Germans also implemented this concept to conserve fuel, which also led to the rest of Europe following the same thing. Eventually, the Standard Time Act of March 19, 1918, was implemented, which confirmed the existing standard time zone system and set summer DST USA to begin on March 31, 1918.

When does Daylight Saving in the USA start and end?

Daylight Saving in USA originally started in April and ended in October. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 added four weeks to Daylight Saving Time. The majority of the United States switches from standard time to daylight saving time at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in November and the second Sunday in March. Each time zone in the US changes at a different time. Daylight Saving in USA was once even longer.

Who follows Daylight Saving in the USA and who doesn’t?

Daylight Saving in USA is observed by almost every state, except a few. Arizona, Hawaii, and the overseas territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands are some places that do not follow Daylight Saving in USA. Additionally, due to its size and position across three states, the Navajo Nation observes Daylight Saving in USA, even in Arizona. 

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It might interest you to know that since 1968, the state of Arizona decided to opt out of Daylight Saving in USA due to the intense sunshine it faces. Les daylight at the end of the day equals cooler evenings. At the same time, there areother sunny states in the US, such as Texas, Nevada, and Florida, that do follow Daylight Saving in USA. However, Federal approval is required for any changes. 

Daylight Saving in USA’s Time Zones

There are six official time zones in the US. However, during the first half of the year, there are actually seven separate clock times in the United States. The six regular time zones in the US are 

listed here:

UTC -10 (Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone)
UTC -9 (Alaska Time Zone)
UTC -8 (Pacific Time Zone)
UTC -7 (Mountain Time Zone)
UTC -6 (Central Time Zone)
UTC -5 (Eastern Time Zone)

During the summer, this time zone shifts to UTC -9, in other words, nine hours earlier than the Prime Meridian’s standard time. East Coast time changes to UTC -4. Hawaii, on the other hand, does not observe Daylight Saving in USA. Therefore, throughout the summer months, they remain on UTC -10, establishing a seventh time zone in the US between UTC -10 and UTC -4 within the 50 states. UTC is the basis for civil time today. It is a 24-hour time standard that is kept using highly precise atomic clocks combined with the Earth's rotation. UTC is the time standard commonly used across the world. 

How does Daylight Saving in the USA affect international students?

The main purpose of Daylight Saving Time (called "Summer Time" in many places in the world) was to make better use of daylight. To shift an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening, we change our clocks during the summer. However, a small but significant change can certainly have a big impact on your day-to-day life. 

1. Difficult to understand

Firstly, getting your head around Daylight Saving in USA is a hassle in itself. You might initially face quite a bit of shock and confusion upon discovering this unorthodox concept. But, once you get the hang of Daylight Saving in USA, it becomes a whole lot easier to tackle this concept. You will also understand the many benefits that come with this concept. 

2. Change in class schedules

Early morning classes that were already detested for making you wake up at the crack of dawn might get shifted even further up in the day. It can be frustrating for students, however, it’s just a matter of time until you get used to the whole thing. 

3. Incorporating time difference

If you’ve got a hectic routine, it might be difficult to redesign your schedule to include tasks or activities that involve people in different time zones. Keeping in mind the different time zones and daylight saving times and schedules can help overcome this problem. 

4. Make sure you call home

Daylight Saving Time also affects how you communicate with family members back home, especially if their clocks have stayed the same. Mutually deciding on a specific time that suits both you and your family can help you communicate better and not miss any calls. 

Tips to adapt to Daylight Saving in the USA

One of the biggest challenges a student faces is adapting to a new timetable or schedule, which is different from the one they are used to. Add the Daylight Savings concept to that, and you pretty much have definite confusion. Although it’s just one day, springing forward in time each year can throw off your entire schedule. Now that you are clear on what is daylight saving in USA, here are also a few tips on how to tackle Daylight Savings USA:

1. Adjust your clock early

To make it easier for your body to adjust to Daylight Saving Time, rise and shine 15 minutes earlier in the days leading up to daylight saving time. This means changing not just your sleep schedules but also the rest of your daily routine. For an ideally smooth transition, start adjusting your bedtime on Wednesday the week before Daylight Saving in USA. 

2. Try relaxation aids

Implementing things that help you relax as you get ready for bed can help. A weighted blanket or white noise machine might be just what you need to trick your body into sleeping early. Irrespective of Daylight Savings USA, having a relaxed sleep is always a good idea, isn’t it?  

3. Control light

When it comes to adjusting to Daylight Saving in USA, altering your environment might help lull you into sleep earlier. Controlling the amount of light in your room by using eye masks or blackout curtains and blocking out extra light might help. Blocking out any form of light is truly one of the best ways to sleep!

4. Control temperature

Another factor of the environment that you might be able to regulate is the temperature of your room. Set the bedroom temperature to the optimal 60-67°F. If you own a smart thermostat, you can schedule it to cool down the room’s temperature earlier in the evening. Before night, a hot bath or shower can help swiftly lower your body temperature and put your body into sleep mode.

5. Work on waking up

If getting out of bed is a challenge for you, it's possible that you're trying to awaken during the deepest phase of your sleep cycle, deep sleep, rather than the lighter REM sleep. You can follow your sleep cycles using a sleep-tracking app. If that doesn’t work, forcing yourself to get up by placing your alarm clock somewhere that you need to get up and walk to get to might just do the trick. 

6. Spend time in the Sun

Since the entire purpose of Daylight Saving in USA is to match the sun’s pace and optimize the use of your time, just getting out into the sunlight, even if it is just for 15 minutes, might do the trick. Plus, we all know the uncountable benefits of spending time in the sun, so that’s an additional benefit, too!

Facts about Daylight Saving Time in the USA

1. Although the purpose of daylight saving in USA was allegedly to save energy, it turned out that people actually liked having an extra hour of daylight after work. But not in Arizona, where the heat-related agony is simply worsened by the sun.

2. The Hopi Reservation does not observe daylight saving time, although the Navajo Reservation does. You will experience four time changes if you travel from Flagstaff to Gallup on Monday through Tuba City and Ganado since the Navajo Reservation encircles the Hopi Reservation.

3. Americans began setting their clocks one hour ahead on February 9, 1942, and they did so until September 30, 1945. Officially, it was wartime, and the zones reflected that (Arizona, for example, was on Mountain War Time).

four-time

5. While it’s common to hear people say “Daylight Savings time” or just “Daylight Savings,” the correct term is “daylight saving time.” There’s a grammatical reason for keeping “saving” singular, but you can also think of it this way: What are you doing during this time? Saving daylight. Thus, daylight saving time.

Is the United States ending Daylight Saving Time?

Though many Americans dislike having to "fall back" and "spring forward" every year, all indications suggest that twice-yearly clock changes will continue. Since there were no significant changes to daylight saving time (DST) legislation in 2023, on Sunday, March 10, the clocks will advance once more. 

Another thing to keep in mind is the The Sunshine Protection Law, which is a measure that Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has introduced in the US Senate each year since 2018. The bill would make daylight saving time permanent across the country. There would be no spring and fall clock adjustments under the terms of the measure. 

This might have been a lot to get your head around, but hopefully, we’ve made it easier to understand the bizarre concept of Daylight Saving in USA. Although numerous countries have adopted this tradition, its actual benefits are still under question, with a debate just as old as Daylight Saving Time itself. Nevertheless, you can make the most of it by using it as a reminder to change the batteries of your smoke alarms. If you plan on moving to the UK or Australia, you can also have a look at our blogs on Daylight Savings time in Australia and Daylight Savings time in the UK