Reminder: DST is here again!

With an extra hour of sleep and an earlier sunset, daylight saving time (also called daylight savings time) ends this weekend.  Remember to set your clock back one hour by Sunday, November 3, before 2 a.m.  Most folks go ahead and fall back before they fall into bed on Saturday night.

That means clock confusion is once again ticking away, giving rise to hotly debated questions: Why do we spring forward and fall back? Does daylight saving time (DST) really save energy? Is it bad for your health?  For most Americans daylight saving time will end with a “fall back” to standard time on Sunday, November 3, at 2 a.m. Most states “sprang forward” an hour to begin DST on  Sunday, March 10.  There are different opinions on which is preferred. 
In the United States, the North might enjoy the time change more because the North doesn’t have as much air conditioning. But the South is a definite loser in terms of energy consumption. The South has more energy consumption under daylight saving. With more sunlight in the late hours, air conditioners are needed to run longer to keep the houses cool.

Daylight Savings Time vs Daylight Saving Time

The practice of turning the clocks one hour forward to save energy is often called “daylight savings time”. However, daylight saving time (DST) is considered to be the correct term.  DST’s descriptions vary, such as “daylight savings time”, “daylight-saving time” and “summer time”.  Many newspapers,  online sites, and broadcast media sources that cover news articles, announcements or features about daylight saving time (DST) often use the phrase “daylight savings” or “daylight savings time”. These phrases are used to describe the possible energy or electricity savings that are made (or not made) as a result of such a schedule.  However, daylight saving time (DST) is considered to be the correct term for the practice of advancing clocks to save energy because it refers to a time for saving daylight. Another correct variation is “daylight-saving time”, which includes use of the hyphen between “daylight” and “saving”.

“Daylight savings time” is still commonly used, especially in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States. It is likely that the incorrect term “savings” entered the popular vocabulary because it is so often used in everyday contexts, such as “savings account”.

At the beginning of the DST period in the spring clocks are moved forward, usually by one hour. When DST ends in fall (autumn), clocks are turned back again. DST does not add daylight but it gives more usable hours of daylight. In that sense, DST “saves” daylight, especially during the winter months when the days get colder and darker. Standard time refers to time without DST.

The main thing is to not be early to church next Sunday morning, and to pay special attention to children going to school  as you drive to work on Monday.  Although there will be more light, still  watch for those who are walking or riding bikes.  Regardless of how you feel about the time change, it’s here again.  It seems that it is easier to adjust to it now than it used to be.

Sources: National Geographic; Time and