Minnesota Takes Huge Step Towards Making Daylight Saving Time Permanent

For most people, it takes a couple of days to adjust when we “spring ahead” and lose an hour of sleep. We “fall back” soon though so we’ll get that hour back, right? Wrong.

Researchers at Harvard say, "In the Fall, only a minority of people actually get that promised extra hour of sleep. During the following week, many people wake up earlier, have more trouble falling asleep, and are more likely to wake up during the night. People who tend to be so-called short sleepers, logging under 7.5 hours a night, and early risers (also known as larks), have the most trouble adjusting to the new schedule."

Nearly 2/3 of people surveyed by The American Academy of Sleep Medicine aren't fans of Daylight Savings Time. 63% of respondents said they wish we could get rid of the time change. 

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It’s Bad For Your Health

This Business Insider article dives into the negative effects which include increased incidents of heart attacks, strokes, and fatal car crashes. Traffic safety is a big reason why Minnesota lawmakers came together to discuss DST.

Will Minnesota Make Daylight Savings Time Permanent?

A bill to make DST permanent just passed with bipartisan support in the Minnesota house and senate. KTTC spoke with Minnesota State Rep. Mike Freiberg (DFL) and he explained the reason he wrote the bill, "One thing is traffic safety and the evening rush hour tends to be more dangerous than the morning rush hour, so having more daylight in the evening.”

The state now needs approval from the federal government before making anything official.

When Does Daylight Saving Time Start and End in Minnesota?

Daylight Saving Time always begins on the second Sunday in March, and always ends on the first Sunday in November in nearly all states. This year it will end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 7th, 2021.

Falling back one hour means it’ll be brighter earlier in the day,  but it will get darker earlier each evening.

FYI, we’ll spring ahead on Sunday, March 13, 2022, unless the Feds allow Minnesota to drop DST.