Daylight saving time starts soon in WA. How time change can impact your health

Every year, legislators across the country propose an end to the annual observation of daylight saving time.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, helped introduce a bipartisan bill attempting to end the practice on a federal level.

“Every year, more Americans grow more frustrated setting their clocks back and forth, and every winter folks in Washington state despair at the prospect of losing an hour of precious sunlight when we are forced off daylight saving time,” Murray said when introducing the Sunshine Protection Act in 2025.

Murray and other legislators cite the biannual time switch’s impacts on health, the economy and crops as reasons to make daylight saving time the new, permanent standard time.

Can daylight saving time really hurt your health — and the economy? What’s the best way to prepare for changing clocks?

Here’s what we know:

When does daylight saving time begin in 2026?

In 2026, daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 8.

Clocks and watches will “spring forward” an hour at 2 a.m., with the time changing to 3 a.m.

When daylight saving time comes to an end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, clocks will “fall back” an hour — reverting to 1 a.m.

Is daylight saving time bad for health?

Observing daylight saving time can impact the body’s natural circadian rhythm — its internal clock that attempts to regulate sleep systems.

The spring shift is more disruptive than the fall change, according to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says there’s evidence the body’s clock doesn’t adjust to daylight saving time, even months after the switch.

“That one-hour change may not seem like much, but it can wreak havoc on people’s mental and physical well-being in the short term,” Dr. Charles Czeisler, a Harvard professor of sleep medicine, said in a 2023 article.

Less light in the morning decreases the body’s serotonin production, and more light in the evening delays melatonin production.

This is likely the reason behind numerous side effects observed during daylight saving time.

What are common side effects of daylight saving time?

Many people experience minor side effects for the duration of daylight saving time.

According to numerous experts, common side effects include:

• Sleep disruption and loss
• Fatigue
• Mood disturbances
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure

There are also more concerning impacts linked to the time change, including a greater risk of car accidents and a spike in strokes and cardiovascular events such as heart attacks.

Hospital admissions and missed medical appointments increase after clocks spring forward, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

There is evidence that suicide attempts and other mental health impacts increase during daylight saving time. Substance abuse is also exacerbated during this period.

This disproportionately impact certain groups, including those with chronic health conditions, high school students, early risers and late sleepers.

Researchers estimate that eliminating the biannual clock change could result in less obesity and significantly fewer strokes, Stanford Medicine reported in 2025.

How can I offset the health impacts of daylight saving time?

While daylight saving time remains in effect, individuals can take steps to remediate some of these side effects.

Experts recommend these steps:

• Go to bed earlier before the time change
• Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep
• Keep a dark sleeping environment
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the days surrounding the switch
• Avoid technology before bedtime
• Take afternoon naps for 20 to 30 minutes
• Get 15 minutes of morning light every day for a week after the switch
• Delay your daily routine following the change

Does daylight saving time hurt the economy?

Daylight saving time has numerous impacts on the economy.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports volatility in stock markets following the spring time change.

“While reasons for this are not entirely clear, proposed mechanisms include the impact of sleep deprivation on frontal lobe functioning, which may result in impaired judgment and decision-making capacity,” the academy said in 2020.

There are also reports of reduced economic activity and higher energy costs.

Murray is among the critics who dispute the agricultural benefits of changing clocks twice a year.

“In fact, year-round DST would benefit our nation’s farmers, who end up disproportionately inconvenienced in our current system as the changes disrupt agricultural schedules, disorient animals’ biological clocks and interrupt coordination with supply chain partners,” Murray and then-Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, wrote in a 2021 opinion piece in USA Today.