Trump's daylight saving time, explained

What happens if Trump gets rid of daylight saving time?

President-elect Donald Trump says he wants to ditch daylight saving time and keep the nation on one time year round. The move would dramatically alter life in the spring and summer months. FOX 5 NY's Teresa Priolo has more on the potential impact a change can bring.

NEW YORK - President-elect Trump says daylight saving time is "inconvenient" and "very costly," sparking debate.

Daylight saving time (DST) involves moving clocks forward one hour during the summer months and setting them back in the fall.

Without DST, the U.S. would remain in a permanent state of "falling back," meaning sunrises and sunsets would be earlier. Yet it is unclear whether Trump wants the country to remain "falling back" (a.k.a. standard time) or shifted to "spring forward."

Experts say the main goal of daylight saving time is to optimize human activity by making better use of daylight.

The proposed change has been subject to scrutiny, and if implemented, could significantly alter sunrise and sunset times.

How did daylight saving time start?

"The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate daylight saving time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t!," Trump said on Dec. 13. "Daylight saving time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation."

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, DST began in the U.S. in 1918 to create more daylight hours during the warmest months.

The goal has been to conserve energy by aligning daylight hours with the times when most people are active, though some studies suggest the energy savings are minimal.

What is daylight saving?

Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months. This results in later sunsets (compared to standard time) and slightly later sunrises.

Standard time

Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. Arizona and Hawaii don't change their clocks at all.

Standard time is based on the natural position of the sun relative to the Earth. When the U.S. is on standard time, the sun rises and sets according to the clock time that aligns more closely with the Earth's natural rhythm.

Sunrise

If daylight saving time was eliminated, and the U.S. stayed on standard time, sunrise would occur earlier in the summer.

For example, if you're used to a sunrise at 7:00 a.m. under daylight saving time, it would happen at 6:00 a.m. under standard time.

Sunset

Sunset would also occur earlier than it does under daylight saving time.

If you're used to a sunset at 8:00 p.m. under daylight saving time, it would happen at 7:00 p.m. under standard time.

Staying on standard time would cause both the sunrise and sunset times to shift earlier compared to what they are during daylight saving time during the summer.

The main impact of this is that the evenings would feel darker earlier in the day, but mornings would be brighter earlier in the day.

Will the U.S. get rid of daylight saving time?

Last year, New York State Senator Joseph Griffo introduced a bill to make daylight saving time permanent year-round.

"The essence of this, which people appreciate, is that we’re taking a collaborative regional approach so we can send a message to Washington. That way, you're not moving from Pennsylvania to New York to Massachusetts and worrying about different time zones," he said.

However, New York can't set its own time, as states are governed by the Uniform Time Act of 1966.

The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act, had proposed making daylight saving time permanent.

The measure was sponsored by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department.

"Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary," Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure.

Regardless of whether you're for or against the time change, no one knows if or when the tradition of switching clocks back will end.

Does daylight saving affect your health?

Some health groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said it's time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time year-round aligns better with the sun — and human biology.

But until this happens, experts suggest getting to bed a little earlier in the days leading up to daylight saving time to help gradually adjust to the time change.