Love it or hate it, daylight saving time change is coming. When, how to get your body ready

The time change everyone loves to hate is only a week away.

Daylight saving time arrives Sunday, March 9. This is the one when we set our clocks forward an hour, losing an hour of sleep.

By law, the states that observe daylight saving time — which includes Florida — have to follow the federally mandated dates on when to start and stop daylight saving time.

Arizona — with the exception of the Navajo Nation — and Hawaii are the only states that do not recognize daylight saving time. They remain on standard time all year.

Daylight saving time must start the second Sunday in March and end the first Sunday in November.

Florida has tried since 2018 to make daylight saving time permanent in the state.

When does the time change 2025?

Daylight saving time will start at 2 a.m. March 9.

Countdown to start of daylight saving time

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Spring time change 2025: Spring forward, fall back

At 2 a.m. on March 9 — or before you go to bed — set your clocks forward one hour to shift from standard time to daylight saving time.

When does daylight saving time 2025 end?

Clocks will move back one hour, unless a new law is passed by Congress and signed by President Trump, at 2 a.m. Nov. 2.

November 2025 until March 2026 is the period known as standard time.

What's the difference between staying on standard time or daylight saving time all year?

Daylight saving time would mean later sunrises and sunsets, which means more time for outdoor activities after work or in the evenings.

Standard time would mean earlier sunrises and sunsets, which some argue increase safety in the mornings for school children and is more in line with our biological circadian rhythms, according to savestandardtime.

"The medical and scientific communities are unified ... that permanent standard time is better for human health," said Erik Herzog, a professor of biology and neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis and the former president of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms.

It's only an hour. Why do experts say time changes are bad for us?

"The transitions between standard time and daylight saving time can pose serious challenges to your sleep," according to an article by the sleepfoundation.

"A lack of sleep caused by the time change can affect thinking, decision-making, and productivity.

"Especially when springing forward, studies have even found an association between the transition to daylight saving time and short-term risk of heart attacks, stroke, traffic accidents, emergency room visits, and serious mood disturbances."

Why does changing the clock an hour affect our bodies?

"Changing the time on the clock alters your normal pattern of daylight exposure. This can throw off your body’s circadian rhythm, the internal clock that helps control sleep and many other biological processes," according to the sleepfoundation.

Daylight saving time is coming. How can you get your body ready for the time change?

With daylight saving time just a week away, now's the time to start getting your body ready, especially since this shift is the tough one. During the week or a few days preceding the time change:

• Gradually adjust your sleep schedule: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises trying to slowly adjust your schedule by going to bed around 15-20 minutes earlier each day.

• Gradually adjust other daily activities: Adjust the timing of other daily activities, such as meals and exercise, while you're adjusting your sleep schedule.

• "Bank" some sleep: Don't go into daylight saving time sleep deprived. "If you’re already sleep deprived when it’s time to change the clocks, it can exacerbate the impact. Getting extra sleep beforehand can help you build up a “sleep bank” to better cope with the switch to daylight saving time.

• Consider relaxation techniques: Relaxation methods, ranging from basic deep breathing to mindfulness meditation, can help make the transition easier.

• Prioritize daylight exposure: "To decrease sleep disruptions after the switch to daylight saving time, make a plan for Sunday to go outside, ideally in the morning, and get sun exposure."

  • Immediately after the time change, get some exposure to daylight to help your body’s internal clock get used to the new timing of daylight and darkness.

More tips to help your body get ready for the time change from the Old Farmer's Almanac:

• Regular bedtimes: Get at least seven hours of sleep on the days before and after the transition. If you've had a rough time in prior years, use the method of adjusting your bedtime 15-20 minutes early each night prior to the time change.

• Caffeine: Don't drink caffeinated beverages four to six hours prior to bedtime.

• Exercise: Avoid workouts within four hours of bedtime.

• Screen time: "Electronics’ high-intensity light hinders melatonin, a hormone that triggers sleepiness." Avoid electronics near bedtime and for at least for a few days afterward.

• Food: Not only is it suggested to shift your mealtime a little earlier in the days before the time change. If you need a snack before bed, go for protein instead of carbs.

• Sunlight: It bears repeating: on Sunday after the time change, get outside to help regulate your internal clock.

• Nap: If you're still groggy, it's OK to take a nap, but make it short — less than 20 minutes — and not too late in the day.

Will daylight saving time be made permanent?

Almost every state, since 2015, has considered multiple time zone bills, but none of significance passed until 2018, when Florida became the first state to enact legislation to permanently observe DST, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Over the next six years, "20 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to provide for year-round daylight saving time, if Congress were to allow such a change, and in some cases, if surrounding states enact the same legislation."

Sunshine Protection Act 2025: Scott, Buchanan file bills to make daylight saving time permanent

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott introduced legislation — S.R. 29, known as the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 — in January to officially “lock the clock” and end the twice-yearly time change and make daylight saving time the national year-round standard.

Scott said it is time to "make this common-sense change that will simplify and benefit the lives of American families."

In the U.S. House, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan filed H.R. 139, also seeking (again) to make daylight saving time permanent across the U.S.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends permanent standard time

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine supports replacing daylight saving time with permanent standard time.

“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. M. Adeel Rishi, chair of the AASM Public Safety Committee and a pulmonary, sleep medicine, and critical care specialist at Indiana University Health

“Permanent standard time helps synchronize the body clock with the rising and setting of the sun,” said Dr. James A. Rowley, president of the AASM.

“This natural synchrony is optimal for healthy sleep, and sleep is essential for health, mood, performance, and safety."

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Daylight saving time 2025: Prepare your body for time change