As daylight saving time ends, Americans face a mixed bag of feelings. You’ll gain an extra hour of sleep, but the transition is unwelcome for many. An AP-NORC poll reveals only 12% of U.S. adults favor the existing daylight saving system, requiring clock changes twice yearly. Opposition stands at 47% and neutrality at 40%, showing a nation divided on this issue.
This Sunday, the clocks will be set back one hour at 2 a.m., returning the country to standard time and offering more daylight in the mornings. The poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates a significant portion of the population opposes these temporal adjustments. If given a choice, most prefer retaining the extra hour of evening daylight.
Among the dissenters, Pranava Jayanti from Los Angeles strongly opposes the change. Having grown up in India where clocks remain static, his arrival in the U.S. for graduate studies posed an unexpected challenge. Despite forewarnings from relatives, the abrupt change still took him by surprise with earlier nightfall.
Efforts to halt the biannual time changes have stalled despite legislative attempts in 2022. Advocacy groups like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine urge for a permanent shift to one time, supported by the likes of former President Donald Trump through social media.
Permanent daylight saving time, often incorrectly referred to as daylight savings time, lacks universal approval. Many still prefer early daylight. The time shift, initiated over a century ago during World Wars, allows states discretion over its use based on uniformity. Currently, only Arizona and Hawaii opt for standard time all year. Other parts of the world, including Europe and Canada, embrace the shift, although the timing differs.
Although about half of U.S. adults oppose the switch, with 27% expressing strong opposition, indifference remains prevalent among younger adults under 30, with 51% expressing neutrality.
Preferences divide further between daylight saving time and standard time. Over half of adults favor permanent daylight saving time, preferring evening light. About 40% choose standard time with more morning light. Those identifying as night people predominantly favor daylight saving, while morning people show equal division.
Vicky Robson, a 74-year-old retired nurse from Minnesota, advocates for permanent daylight saving due to her late-afternoon activities, reflecting the split views among people.
Evidence regarding daylight saving versus standard time’s societal benefits remains inconclusive. Stanford University research suggests constant time benefits human health, particularly in maintaining circadian rhythms. Standard time offers slightly better health advantages according to Jamie Zeitzer from Stanford University’s Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences. Yet, economic factors and personal preferences complicate the matter.
An attempt to switch to permanent daylight saving time in the mid-1970s was short-lived due to unpopularity. The time shift has culturally entrenched elements, according to Chad Orzel, a Union College professor. While longer summer evenings are favored, reverting to standard time avoids excessively dark mornings. Consequently, Americans endure twice-yearly clock changes.
The AP-NORC poll surveyed 1,289 adults from October 9-13, utilizing a sample from NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel, a representation of the U.S. population. The poll’s margin of error is ±3.8 percentage points.