It happens every March. After months of dealing with dark skies and early bedtimes, Daylight Saving Time happens and most of us lose an hour of sleep in the name of longer days.

So why do we observe it? Keep reading to learn more.

What Exactly Is Daylight Savings Time?

It’s the point where most of us move our clocks forward an hour to claim an extra hour of sunlight. This occurs in an attempt to conserve energy, make better use of daylight, and presumably to spend more time outdoors now that snow and grey skies should disappear for a bit.

What Do You Mean, “Should Disappear?” It’s Summer!

Tell that to Minnesota.

So We’re Losing An Hour of Sleep?

Correct. Everybody participating in Daylight Savings Time sacrifices an hour of sleep from one night in the name of longer days until November. It only really causes a problem for the Saturday it occurs, so go to bed an hour early if you don’t want to lose sleep and remember to set the clocks forward before you do.

And We’re Doing This For Longer Days?

Also correct. By tradition and demand, American summer days need to seem endless. That’s not an official rule, but it feels accurate.

What If I Don’t Want To Participate?

Move to Guam.

Ha Ha. No, Seriously.

As of March 2022, areas that do not participate in Daylight Savings Time include Hawaii, the majority of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. 

Yeah. Most of those locations physically stand close enough to the Equator where the gain/loss of an hour of daylight makes no difference. Arizona just dropped the idea altogether back in 1968.

Why Was That?

Lots of explanations have been given, but the most accepted answer is that it’s already so hot and sunny in Arizona throughout the year that the loss/gain of an hour of daylight won’t do boo for businesses or people.

So Who’s In Charge of All This?

The U.S. Department of Transportation, or the DOT.

IT’S A GOVERNMENT PLOT!

No, it isn’t. Calm down. The DOT got the responsibility because time standards proved so important for many modes of transportation. Daylight Savings Time became official in 1966 with the passage of the Uniform Time Act, which was supposed to help conserve energy while maximizing the amount of stuff that could get done in daylight.

Wait, 1966? I heard Benjamin Franklin started it.

Nope. He did joke about how people could save money on light by using daylight instead of candles, but he didn’t invent Daylight Savings Time. Even the old quote about “Early to Bed, Early to Rise” wasn’t actually stated by Franklin.

That’s Surprising.

Yup. Franklin was a character, but the reports on his sleep patterns go all over the place. Some people say he was an insomniac, others that he averaged between 5 to 7 hours a night.

Obviously not during Daylight Savings Time.

On that first night, at least.