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After Spring Forward, Health Experts Urge Permanent Standard Time as States Advance Bills

Federal law permits states to adopt year‑round standard time, leaving permanent daylight time to Congress.

Overview

  • Most of the U.S. moved clocks forward on March 8, and clinicians warn of a near‑term rise in sleep disruption, crashes and cardiovascular events in the days that follow.
  • Stanford researchers estimate that permanent standard time could prevent roughly 300,000 strokes and reduce obesity cases by about 2.6 million, reinforcing medical groups’ preference for standard time.
  • A small UC Davis study tied the spring switch to more migraines and an average loss of about 10 minutes of nightly deep sleep among monitored participants.
  • More than a dozen states are considering ending seasonal clock changes by adopting permanent standard time, with measures in places like Virginia and Illinois advancing but contingent on neighboring jurisdictions.
  • Sleep experts advise a week of adjustment with consistent wake times, morning light exposure, early‑day exercise and cautious driving as people may be more fatigued than they realize.