From TIME · Chantelle Lee · · 2m
Clocks fall back this Sunday. Here's what to know.
Daylight Saving Time ends November 1st as lawmakers push a bill to make it permanent year-round, despite pushback from sleep experts.
In brief
Daylight Saving Time ends November 1st as lawmakers push a bill to make it permanent year-round, despite pushback from sleep experts. Clocks fall back one hour early Sunday as Congress debates a bill to end the biannual time change and make Daylight Saving Time permanent. Originally reported by TIME.
Clocks fall back Sunday morning
Early Sunday morning, most of the U.S. will switch back to Standard Time. Daylight Saving Time ends on Nov. 1 at two a.m. local time, when clocks fall back to one a.m.
The transition feels like jet lag
Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician, likens changing clocks twice yearly to an hour of jet lag. But moving to Standard Time means people gain an extra hour of sleep.
“an hour of jet lag”
Standard Time is easier to adjust to
Dr. Andrea Matsumura, a sleep medicine physician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, says most people have a fairly easy transition into Standard Time. It's Daylight Saving Time that requires more adjustment.
“Most people have a fairly easy transition into Standard Time; it's the Daylight Saving Time that you have to do a lot more work to adjust [to]”
How to prepare for the change
Matsumura recommends sticking to your regular sleep schedule ahead of Nov. 1. Both experts suggest getting daylight in the morning, avoiding caffeine late in the afternoon, and doing physical movement like walking.
The Sunshine Protection Act explained
The Sunshine Protection Act would make Daylight Saving Time permanent year-round if passed by Congress and signed by the President. Individual states could still choose to remain in Standard Time permanently instead.
Bill passed the House but stalls in Senate
The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House with bipartisan support in July. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune said there's no clear path forward or consensus on the bill yet.
“there's no clear path forward or consensus”
Sleep experts and lawmakers oppose the bill
Critics including Sen.Tom Cotton of Arkansas argue permanent Daylight Saving Time would mean much later sunrises, leaving people going to school and work in the dark.Sleep experts say Standard Time aligns better with circadian rhythms.
What to remember
Clocks fall back one hour early Sunday as Congress debates a bill to end the biannual time change and make Daylight Saving Time permanent.
