73% of parents want to end ‘spring forward’ and ‘back’

The US House of Representatives passed the Daylight Savings Act this week, a bill that seeks to eliminate daylight saving time once a year. Although the Senate must vote on whether this should become law, parents are clear: The clock change must end.

According to a new BabyCenter survey of 288 respondents, 73% say they want the period to remain year-round. More than half (52%) would prefer to keep Daylight Savings Time and its evening hours, while 21% prefer to have Daylight Saving Time and bright mornings. Only 27% want to keep things as they are.

If the Sunlight Protection ActIt will open a new window If it passes the Senate, the Trump-backed bill would allow states to make Daylight Savings Time permanent and allow them to opt out. (Hawaii, most of Arizona, and the US already have Standard Time year-round.)

Many sleep experts and professional organizations, including the American Academy of Sleep MedicineIt will open a new windowhelping to eliminate moving clocks – but making standard time, not daylight saving time.

“This is in perfect harmony with our circadian rhythms,” says Funke Afolabi-Brown, MD, a pediatric respiratory medicine physician and expert on BabyCenter’s Baby Sleep 101 course.It will open a new window. Bright mornings and dark evenings align well with our internal clocks — especially for young children, who naturally wake up early, he says.

Both children and parents are very sensitive in the days following the time change

According to a previous BabyCenter survey conducted in 2024, 46% of children under the age of five take four days or more to adjust to changing clocks. And they are not the only ones affected.

“Children can be very irritable, sleepy, confused, but there are also big things going on with adults,” says Dr. Brown.

Of the 453 women who took a BabyCenter survey in 2024, 91% reported experiencing one or two symptoms a day after the Daylight Saving Time change, including fatigue (38%), depression (34%), and decreased productivity (28%).

How parents can help children get used to daycare

Meanwhile, Daylight Saving Time will end as scheduled on the first Sunday in November. You can prepare your children (and yourself) to “come back” by making some tweaks to your schedule.

“What you’re trying to do is adjust to the circadian rhythm, which is the internal clock, but there are also external signals that our body responds to that treatment,” says Dr. Brown.

Dr. Brown suggests that parents and caregivers move their family’s bedtimes, mealtimes, and other routines a little later for three to four days to allow the time to change. About 15 minutes a day should do the trick.

If that’s too much trouble, working a 30-minute shift on Saturday can also offset the sudden shock of the time change. Families can also coordinate their routines by spending the day outside in the morning.

As a busy parent, you’re not alone if this change in schedule is overwhelming. Dr. “If you can’t start a few days in advance, there are things you can do to make the transition less difficult,” Brown said.

In the end, you and your children can change within three to five days, she says.

The way

The BabyCenter Snap Poll was conducted on July 15 and 16, 2026. We surveyed 288 respondents.

The Talk to Moms Monthly survey was conducted by BabyCenter between January 25 and January 29, 2024. We surveyed 453 respondents who are currently pregnant or have children up to 5 years old. The survey was ranked among the Dynata Research Panel.