Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), or summertime (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typically by one hour) during warmer months so that darkness falls at a later clock time.
The typical implementation of DST is to set clocks forward by one hour in either the late winter or spring (“spring forward”), and to set clocks back by one hour in the fall (“fall back”) to return to standard time.
The first states to adopt daylight savings time nationally were those of the German Empire and its World War I ally Austria-Hungary commencing 30 April 1916, as a way to conserve coal during wartime. Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed. Russia and a few other countries waited until the next year, and the United States adopted daylight saving in 1918. Most jurisdictions abandoned DST in the years after the war ended in 1918, with exceptions including Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, and the United States.
While Daylight Savings may have been effective at reducing energy consumption during wartime, its usefulness in modern times is up for debate. Some argue that it disrupts sleep patterns and negatively affects productivity, while others believe that it’s a necessary measure to promote outdoor activities and save on energy costs. Regardless of which side you fall on, it’s important to prepare for the upcoming time change and adjust your schedule accordingly. This can include gradually shifting your sleep schedule in the days leading up to the change, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, and ensuring that your home is well-lit in the mornings to help you wake up naturally.
The clock was adjusted on 12 of March 2023.
