Daylight Saving Time 2023 Starts Soon & Here's When You'll Be Losing An Hour Of Sleep
Get ready to spring forward!
A woman hitting snooze on her alarm clock. Right: A sunrise over Sidney, BC.
Daylight saving time is almost here again, and that means you'll have to adjust your clock and your sleeping habits if you live in one of the affected areas.
Most people in the U.S. and Canada will be impacted by the changes when clocks spring forward by one hour in a few days.
There is an ongoing conversation about ending the bi-annual time change and making daylight saving time permanent so hopefully, by the time November comes around, we won't have to touch our clocks.
However, for the time being, it's important to note that changing clocks twice a year can impact your health so it's best to prepare yourself ahead of time.
Here's what you need to know before daylight saving time begins on March 12.
When does daylight saving time begin in 2023?
Daylight saving time ended on November 6, 2022 and starts again on March 12 at 2 a.m. ET.
If you use a regular alarm clock then make sure you adjust the time before you go to bed so you're not confused in the morning.
If your phone wakes you up then there's no need to do anything as it will adjust to the new time automatically.
Is daylight saving time now permanent in the US?
Daylight saving time is not currently permanent in the U.S., although the conversation about making the switch comes back every March and November.
According to the New York Times, Florida Senator Marco Rubio reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, which was passed last March but then nothing happened with it.
The bill would make daylight saving time last all year round, meaning we wouldn't have to turn our clocks back every November.
“This ritual of changing time twice a year is stupid,” Rubio said in a statement on Thursday, as reported by the New York Times.
“Locking the clock has overwhelming bipartisan and popular support.”
Daylight saving time has been in place in almost all U.S. states since the 1960s after it was first tried in 1918.
If the new changes are brought forward, it won't change things for Hawaii and Arizona as those two states don't observe daylight saving time. Same goes for American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Is Canada getting rid of daylight saving time?
Most of Saskatchewan, Yukon and parts of B.C., Ontario and Quebec don't observe daylight saving time.
However, people in other Canadian provinces have been patiently waiting for the permanent changes to be made.
British Columbia passed legislation in 2019 to make the change to permanent DST as soon as Washington, California and Oregon do it too.
Ontario will also do the same once Quebec and New York move forward.
Basically, a lot of places are waiting for someone else to make the first move before they follow suit with DST.
How should you prepare for daylight saving time?
Moving our clocks forward affects us more than when we set our clocks back.
The U.S. Sleep Foundation says the changes can affect our circadian rhythm and it has tips on how you can prepare so your body can adjust more smoothly.
The advice includes:
- Gradually adjusting your schedule by going to bed 15-20 minutes earlier each day
- Getting quality sleep before the time change
- Implementing relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing into your nighttime routine
- Getting sun exposure during the daytime to help your body's internal clock
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.