‘Spring forward’ no more: Trump and Musk want to end Daylight Saving Time changes. Here’s what health experts say

Mark your calendars: It’s almost time to set your clocks ahead one hour as we “spring forward” into Daylight Saving Time this Sunday, March 9, at 2 a.m. Tired of changing your clocks? You’re not alone. Both President Donald Trump and senior adviser Elon Musk have said they want to end the annoying seasonal time changes, by making Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent (meaning that after setting our clocks forward, we would not set them backward anymore). That’s in line with a 2023 YouGov poll that found nearly two-thirds (62%) of Americans want to end the practice, though only half prefer to keep DST permanent versus keeping Standard Time permanent (meaning we would not set our clocks forward anymore). As president, Trump previously indicated support for such a change, tweeting in 2019, “Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me!” He seemed to reiterate his stance in December, posting to Truth Social that once he was in office, “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate” the time changes, which he called “inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.” (Note: It’s not clear exactly what Trump’s stance was, as he wrote about eliminating “Daylight Saving Time,” not the time changes specifically. However, given his previous stance, many have interpreted it to mean eliminating the time changes.) On X, Musk posted a similar rallying cry, saying people want to “abolish the annoying time changes!” So far, the Trump administration hasn’t moved forward on the issue. However, health experts say Trump and Musk, as well as lawmakers who support making DST permanent, have it backward. Instead, they argue, Standard Time should be made permanent. Here, we break down some arguments for sticking with Daylight Saving Time versus Standard Time permanently. Health experts say stick with Standard Time The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) also wants to do away with the time change, but supports replacing Daylight Saving Time with permanent Standard Time because it best aligns with the sun and our natural circadian rhythms. “By causing the human body clock to be misaligned with the natural environment, Daylight Saving Time increases risks to our physical health, mental well-being, and public safety,” said Dr. Muhammed Adeel Rishi, lead author of the academy’s position statement, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. “Permanent standard time is the optimal choice for health and safety.” Research backs that up, saying the one-hour change disrupts the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, which regulates body temperature, hormone release, and alertness. That could explain why Daylight Saving Time transitions lead to a spike in traffic accidents. Sticking with Daylight Saving Time may make people happier In the 2023 YouGov poll, those in favor of making DST permanent said they preferred later sunrises and sunsets, giving them more daylight at the end of the day. One of the most compelling reasons to make Daylight Saving Time permanent is that it seems to make people happier, with research showing that “seasonal increases in sun time were associated with decreased mental health distress.” Where does Congress stand on the issue? Daylight Saving Time was originally adopted as a wartime measure in 1942 intended to maximize daylight hours in the summer, and has long been unpopular with lawmakers who tried to make the time change permanent with the now-stalled 2023 Sunshine Protection Act. The bipartisan bill, sponsored by then-Senator Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State, passed unanimously in the Senate but failed to pass in the House because lawmakers could not agree on whether to keep Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time. Do all states observe Daylight Saving Time? And there’s another thing: Not all 50 states observe the twice-yearly time changes. Hawaii and Arizona are the two exceptions, with both keeping Standard Time permanently. In fact, some 70 countries adhere to the time changes—though like the U.S., many of those countries have outlier regions that don’t follow suit. Also challenging: There are no worldwide universal DST/ST time-change dates. Fortunately for North America, both Canada and Mexico observe the same time-change frames as the U.S. When is the Daylight Saving Time change in 2025? Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 9 at 2 a.m., local time, meaning people will lose an hour of sleep but gain an hour of sunlight. It always starts on the second Sunday in March, and ends on the first Sunday in November. This contrasts with the U.K. and the E.U., where it begins on the last Sunday in March (Sunday, March 30 at 1 a.m.) and ends on the last Sunday in October (Sunday, October 26 at 1 a.m).

Mar 6, 2025 - 22:13

‘Spring forward’ no more: Trump and Musk want to end Daylight Saving Time changes. Here’s what health experts say

Mark your calendars: It’s almost time to set your clocks ahead one hour as we “spring forward” into Daylight Saving Time this Sunday, March 9, at 2 a.m. Tired of changing your clocks? You’re not alone. Both President Donald Trump and senior adviser Elon Musk have said they want to end the annoying seasonal time changes, by making Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent (meaning that after setting our clocks forward, we would not set them backward anymore).

That’s in line with a 2023 YouGov poll that found nearly two-thirds (62%) of Americans want to end the practice, though only half prefer to keep DST permanent versus keeping Standard Time permanent (meaning we would not set our clocks forward anymore).

As president, Trump previously indicated support for such a change, tweeting in 2019, “Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me!” He seemed to reiterate his stance in December, posting to Truth Social that once he was in office, “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate” the time changes, which he called “inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.” (Note: It’s not clear exactly what Trump’s stance was, as he wrote about eliminating “Daylight Saving Time,” not the time changes specifically. However, given his previous stance, many have interpreted it to mean eliminating the time changes.)

On X, Musk posted a similar rallying cry, saying people want to “abolish the annoying time changes!”

So far, the Trump administration hasn’t moved forward on the issue. However, health experts say Trump and Musk, as well as lawmakers who support making DST permanent, have it backward. Instead, they argue, Standard Time should be made permanent.

Here, we break down some arguments for sticking with Daylight Saving Time versus Standard Time permanently.

Health experts say stick with Standard Time

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) also wants to do away with the time change, but supports replacing Daylight Saving Time with permanent Standard Time because it best aligns with the sun and our natural circadian rhythms.

“By causing the human body clock to be misaligned with the natural environment, Daylight Saving Time increases risks to our physical health, mental well-being, and public safety,” said Dr. Muhammed Adeel Rishi, lead author of the academy’s position statement, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. “Permanent standard time is the optimal choice for health and safety.”

Research backs that up, saying the one-hour change disrupts the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, which regulates body temperature, hormone release, and alertness. That could explain why Daylight Saving Time transitions lead to a spike in traffic accidents.

Sticking with Daylight Saving Time may make people happier

In the 2023 YouGov poll, those in favor of making DST permanent said they preferred later sunrises and sunsets, giving them more daylight at the end of the day.

One of the most compelling reasons to make Daylight Saving Time permanent is that it seems to make people happier, with research showing that “seasonal increases in sun time were associated with decreased mental health distress.”

Where does Congress stand on the issue?

Daylight Saving Time was originally adopted as a wartime measure in 1942 intended to maximize daylight hours in the summer, and has long been unpopular with lawmakers who tried to make the time change permanent with the now-stalled 2023 Sunshine Protection Act. The bipartisan bill, sponsored by then-Senator Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State, passed unanimously in the Senate but failed to pass in the House because lawmakers could not agree on whether to keep Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time.

Do all states observe Daylight Saving Time?

And there’s another thing: Not all 50 states observe the twice-yearly time changes. Hawaii and Arizona are the two exceptions, with both keeping Standard Time permanently. In fact, some 70 countries adhere to the time changes—though like the U.S., many of those countries have outlier regions that don’t follow suit. Also challenging: There are no worldwide universal DST/ST time-change dates. Fortunately for North America, both Canada and Mexico observe the same time-change frames as the U.S.

When is the Daylight Saving Time change in 2025?

Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 9 at 2 a.m., local time, meaning people will lose an hour of sleep but gain an hour of sunlight. It always starts on the second Sunday in March, and ends on the first Sunday in November. This contrasts with the U.K. and the E.U., where it begins on the last Sunday in March (Sunday, March 30 at 1 a.m.) and ends on the last Sunday in October (Sunday, October 26 at 1 a.m).