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Do We Need Daylight Saving Time?

March 1, 2021

On March 14, many Americans will lose an hour of sleep. That’s when most of the U.S. will set clocks ahead an hour for daylight saving time (DST). DST lasts until November 7, when clocks “fall back” an hour to standard time.

DST was introduced in the U.S. in 1918 as a way to save energy. The sun sets an hour later during DST, so people can rely on sunlight instead of electricity to light their homes. DST is used everywhere in the U.S. except Hawaii and most of Arizona.

Many people want to stop “springing ahead.” They say the time change disrupts sleep and can be a safety hazard. When the sun rises later, many people must go to work or school in the dark.

But other people think we should have DST year-round. They say the extra hour of sunlight allows more time for outdoor activities.

Here’s what two of our readers think.

I think having an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings during DST is great. It gives people more time to run errands, hang out with friends, and do other activities more safely. For example, many kids—including me—like to play sports. They could get hurt if they play while it is dark outside.

Also, some people have trouble driving in the dark. An extra hour of sunlight can help them avoid getting into accidents.

I don’t think we need DST. For one, it can mess up your sleep, and that can lead to other problems. If you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you might feel groggy or unfocused, which could cause you to fail a test. Even worse, tired workers might have accidents on the job and could get hurt.

People who live in states that don’t use DST seem to do just fine. That shows that we don’t need to change the time on our clocks.