Page 18 - IAV Digital Magazine #541

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What Is Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the yearly practice of setting clocks forward one hour1 between the months of March and November. The idea behind DST is to con- serve – or “save” – natural light, since spring, summer, and early fall days typically get dark later in the evening compared to late fall and winter days. The non-DST period between November and March is known as Standard Time.
Most of the United States has officially observed DST2 since 1966. Hawaii, certain areas of Arizona, and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not practice DST.
For the start of DST, we set our clocks forward one hour at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March, resulting in one less hour of sleep that night. Then, at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, we set our clocks back one hour. DST is often referred to as “Spring Forward, Fall Backward” because of when these time changes occur.
Adjusting the time by one hour may not seem like too drastic a change, but sleep experts have noted troubling trends that occur during the transition between Standard Time and DST, particularly in March. These issues include upticks in heart problems, mood disorders, and motor vehicle collisions. Furthermore, DST can cause sleep problems if circadian rhythms are not aligned with natural cycles of light and darkness. Some people also experience insomnia symptoms due to spring time changes
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