INDIANA – We will move to daylight saving time on Sunday, March 10, at 2 a.m. That’s when we will “spring forward” and move our clocks ahead one hour, shifting more daylight hours into the afternoon and evening
We “fall back” and set the clocks back an hour on Sunday, November 3, 2024.
The idea of changing time is old, with many pointing to Founding Father Benjamin Franklin as the concept’s origin. However, according to historians, it became a practice in the U.S. after being introduced in Germany in 1916 during World War I as an energy-saving measure. The U.S. adopted DST in 1918, though it was repealed a year later.
Daylight saving time was reinstituted in 1942 during World War II – again as an energy-saving measure – but wasn’t uniform across the U.S. until Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which standardized DST and its start and end dates across the country.
More sunlight in the evenings is prevalent and signals the arrival of warmer weather. Still, it comes at a price, including sleepier morning commutes, icier roads in many places, and more school children walking to school or waiting for busses before sunrise.
Here is a nighttime sleep chart so you know just how much sleep at night is recommended for children by age group, so families can make sure they aren’t missing out on those essential Zs when we change the clock for daylight saving time.
Number of hours of sleep per night recommended for children by age:
- Newborn-1 month: 8-9 hours
- Three months: 9-10 hours
- Six months: 10 hours
- 9-18 months: 11 hours
- 2-3 years: 10-12 hours
- 4-5 years: 10-13 hours
- 6-8 years: 9-12 hours
Key findings
According to parents, almost half of children (46%) require four or more days to adjust to time changes.
Moms are also affected by the time change, noting that they experience at least one symptom when adjusting to the time change, including exhaustion (38%), irritability (34%), and decreased productivity (28%).
Recently, state legislatures in Oregon and Idaho introduced bills to end daylight saving time. Last year, a bipartisan bill, the Sunshine Protection Act that would halt clock switching, stalled out in Congress. Now, states are introducing their bills to end the time changes.
Sleep experts and organizations like the AAP suggest that the clock switching stops. However, they prefer standard time to daylight saving time as it better aligns with our circadian rhythms and children’s natural tendencies as early risers.
Tips to help kids adjust: Try slowly easing into earlier bedtimes over a few days before the time change, and spend time outside in the morning’s daylight to help them feel the change.
To learn more tips on how to adjust, click here.
