Clocks Fall Back Sunday, Daylight Saving Time Ends

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday and clocks fall back one hour, giving Pasadenans an extra hour to sleep in.

Many people will roll their clocks back one hour before going to bed Saturday night.

While switching the clocks has become rote, the effects of this tweak have been notable. Some consider it a mild annoyance that affects their schedules for a few days. Certain health professionals have gone on record to say it is bad for health. The time change in the spring has been blamed for everything from increases in traffic accidents to a greater number of heart attacks as people adjust, according to NBC News. A 2019 poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 71 percent of people want to stop the time switch the clocks.

In March 2022, the United States Senate passed legislation that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent starting in 2023, ending the twice-annual changing of clock times, leading to brighter afternoons all year long. The measure was dubbed the Sunshine Protection Act, and passed unanimously by vote. To date, however, the House of Representatives, which has held a committee meeting on the matter, has not passed the bill before it can go to President Biden to sign. The House is considering whether DST or Standard time is the better option for permanency, based on health implications and circadian rhythms. 

Other impediments affecting the legislation’s chances of passing appear to be fundamental disagreements over the bill’s language and a general consensus that other matters before the House may be more urgent.

The idea behind Daylight Savings Time was to conserve the effects of natural light, since spring, summer, and early fall days typically get dark later in the evening compared to late fall and winter days. 

Most of the United States has officially observed Daylight Savings Time since 1966. Hawaii, certain areas of Arizona, and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not practice Daylight Savings Time.

The return to Standard Time may also be the best time to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors alarms and your emergency flashlights, say fire officials.

The Pasadena Fire Department regularly reminds residents and homeowners about this time of the year to replace old smoke alarm batteries with fresh, high-quality batteries as you adjust your timepieces. That way, your smoke alarms will be ready to protect you all year long. 

(After inserting fresh batteries in your smoke alarm, make sure the alarm is working by activating the safety test button, the Fire dept. said.)

The fire department recommends replacing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year, and testing all of your smoke alarms at least once a month.

It would also help if you can clean the smoke alarms as you replace the batteries; you can gently use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust from slots and sensors. If the smoke alarms have been accidentally painted over or contaminated, you may have to replace them.

Smoke alarms should ideally be placed in all sleeping areas – one outside of each bedroom and on each level of a home. Alarms should be mounted high on walls, four inches to a foot away from the ceiling, or on ceilings, at least four inches from the nearest wall. On pitched ceilings, they should be installed at least four inches from the highest point.

Smoke detectors should not be placed near windows, doors or ducts where drafts could interfere with their operation, fire officials say.

This time may also be the best time to update your family disaster kits and make sure the food, water, medications, prescription glasses, pet supplies, first aid kit, etc. are current. If you’re not keeping a disaster kit, you should think of starting one now.