The countdown is on before clocks "fall back" this year.
Daylight saving time started on March 10th, when clocks went from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.
It will end on November 3, when clocks will switch from 2 a.m. back to 1 a.m.
About 70 countries — about 40% of those across the globe — currently use what Americans call daylight saving time.
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Nearly every state observes the 8 months of daylight saving time each year; however, there are still a few states and U.S. territories that do not.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Daylight saving time is not observed in the following:
- Hawaii
- American Samoa
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
- The Virgin Islands
- Most of Arizona
Changing the clocks twice a year leads to a lot of grumbling, and pushes to either use standard time all year, or stick to daylight saving time all year often crop up.
Local
During the 1970s energy crisis, the U.S. started doing daylight saving time all year long, and Americans didn't like it.
With the sun not rising in the winter in some areas until around 9 a.m. or even later, people were waking up in the dark, going to work in the dark and sending their children to school in the dark, according to David Prerau, author of the book “Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time.”
”It became very unpopular very quickly," Prerau said.
And, he noted, using standard time all year would mean losing that extra hour of daylight for eight months in the evenings in the US.
But, some experts warn that the time change can negatively affect overall health and safety.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, traffic accidents increase in the first few days after the change from standard time to daylight saving time. Plus, the spring and fall time changes have been associated with mood disturbances and suicide.
In addition, AASM experts said the annual change from standard time to daylight saving time is associated with increased risk of heart attacks and stroke.
The organization, like many others, notes on its website that it is in favor of a national, fixed, year-round time.
Some people try to prepare for the time change by adjusting their sleep schedule, like going to bed and waking up later in the days before the clocks fall back.
And after the change, people would benefit by being extra careful while driving, as accidents tend to increase during this time.
