Daylight Saving Time: A Controversial Tradition in the U.S.

Every year, Americans face the end of daylight saving time with mixed emotions. Though it offers an extra hour of sleep, only a small fraction, 12%, favor this system. According to an AP-NORC poll, 47% are against it and 40% are indifferent. This system requires adjusting the clocks twice annually, and many Americans would rather not engage in this practice.

On Sunday at 2 a.m., clocks will revert back one hour nationwide, marking a return to standard time and providing more daylight in the mornings. Despite its widespread unpopularity, there is a significant portion of people, particularly those who enjoy evening activities, who advocate for keeping daylight saving time in the evenings.

Pranava Jayanti, a resident of Los Angeles, opposes the time change. He experienced the practice after arriving in the U.S. for graduate school, coming from India where clocks remain constant. Despite being informed, the change to shorter days caught him off guard. Calls to end these twice-yearly shifts have gained support from entities such as the American Medical Association, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and President Donald Trump.

The U.S. initially adopted daylight saving time during World War I and again in World War II. A 1966 law allowed states to choose whether to implement it but required uniformity within state boundaries. Arizona and Hawaii abstain from these clock changes, maintaining standard time throughout the year. Other regions, like Europe, also adopt time shifts, though not universally seen in Asia.

Opposition exists among half of U.S. adults — with 27% strongly opposed — yet many remain apathetic, especially those under 30. Older adults generally reject it, with about half disliking the biannual clock changes.

If given a choice, 56% of adults would opt for permanent daylight saving time, preferring lighter afternoons and evenings. Conversely, 4 in 10 would choose standard time for brighter mornings. Night people, at 61%, show a strong preference for daylight saving time, while morning people are divided.

Retired nurse Vicky Robson from Albert Lea, Minnesota, sides with evening light. She describes her routine of engaging in outdoor activities when daylight stretches into the evening, aligning with her history of working evening shifts.

Research indicates that switching disrupts circadian rhythms that guide sleep patterns. Stanford University’s findings suggest a consistent time could benefit health, with a slight preference for standard time offering health advantages. Jamie Zeitzer, a co-director at Stanford’s Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences, notes that morning light strengthens biological clocks.

Despite the personal nature of preferences, broader interests are diverse, spanning economics to individual habits. In the 1970s, America attempted a year-long trial of permanent daylight saving time, but it ended prematurely due to widespread dissatisfaction. As Chad Orzel, a Union College professor, explains, the cultural attachment to seasonally extended daylight persists.

AP-NORC conducted the poll from October 9-13, surveying 1,289 adults from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel. Its margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.