It is, once again, time to change those clocks. | Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko via Pexel.


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It’s that time of year again, folks! Sunday marks the end of daylight saving time and the return to standard time, which means you should set your clocks and other time-telling devices back one hour before you go to bed tonight. The time change will take place at 2 a.m.

The good news: “Falling back” means you’ll get an extra hour of sleep. The bad news: Shorter days and, for some, the onset of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs during the fall and winter from a lack of natural light.

The twice-annual practice of changing clocks has caused controversy in the United States since it was adopted in 1918. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established start and end dates for daylight saving time in the U.S. All states but two – Hawaii and Arizona (excluding the Navajo Nation) – observe daylight saving time. Last year, at least 29 states considered legislation related to daylight saving time. 

Many of our readers will recall in November 2018 when California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 7, which authorized the state legislature to change daylight saving time, either by abolishing it or establishing it year-round. However, doing so would require a two-thirds majority of the state Assembly and Senate, as well as the Governor’s signature, and that has yet to happen. 

At least we can all look forward to a nice sleep tonight, right?