When her interviews run late in the winter months, the sun is already setting over the Pacific, less than two miles away. Her walk home takes at least 20 minutes on 鈥渂usy and chaotic streets,鈥� and she doesn鈥檛 feel safe taking shortcuts through alleys.听

鈥淚t can be annoying when it’s dark and I鈥檓 walking home, or if I have to wait for someone to pick me up, I feel uncomfortable standing there,鈥� said the ninth grader. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 still light out, that鈥檚 a positive for me.鈥�

Woodrick, like many teens, says permanent daylight saving time would better accommodate her busy life and brushes off concerns about getting up for school in the dark. And if the U.S. House embraces the idea as enthusiastically as the Senate, the nation could soon see the end of its annual spring forward/fall back ritual.

On March 15, the Senate unanimously passed the , which would go into effect in November 2023. Proponents, including the bill鈥檚 sponsor, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, say the change would reduce crime, prevent childhood obesity and boost . Senate education Chair Patty Murray of Washington voiced her enthusiasm during a in November.

鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy that every fall we interrupt everybody鈥檚 sleep schedule,鈥� she said. 鈥淣obody knows what time it is for weeks on end after that, and it鈥檚 dark at 4:30 [p.m.] in my state.鈥�

It鈥檚 unclear how quickly the House will take up the bill.  Following an energy and commerce subcommittee earlier this month, Rep. Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat who chairs the full committee, said he hopes lawmakers can soon 鈥渆nd the silliness of the current system.鈥� But some members, including Rep. Pramila Jayapal 鈥� also of Washington 鈥� that permanent daylight saving time is the way to go. 

Dave Dougherty, executive director of the National High School Athletic Coaches Association, said he hopes the House takes more time to consider other perspectives.听聽

鈥淥ne of the biggest challenges is kids who are overly tired and have not gotten enough rest,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 complicated. It鈥檚 more than a simple fix.鈥�

Sleep researchers agree ending the biannual clock adjustment makes sense, but disagree about how: Adolescents, they say, need more daylight in the morning, not the evening 鈥� the reason why there鈥檚 been in recent years to start high school classes later. The U.S. tried permanent daylight saving time in the 1970s to save energy, but the law because people didn鈥檛 like getting up before sunrise.

鈥淲e may shift the time of day, but our internal clocks are still responsive to morning light,鈥� said Wendy Troxel, a behavioral and social scientist and sleep medicine specialist at the RAND Corp. She said the Senate the research in making their decision. 鈥淢ore and summer barbecues sound delightful, but think about December.鈥�

In puberty, adolescents鈥� shift. It鈥檚 harder for them to wind down at 8 or 9 p.m., and they might not get drowsy until 10 or 11 p.m. Many teens already don鈥檛 get and some research shows get less than their white peers. Inadequate sleep has also been linked to anxiety, anger and depression.听

With reports that the pandemic has contributed to , experts say a permanent switch to standard time would be a healthier option.听

鈥淲e鈥檒l have a bunch of zombied out people in the mornings,鈥� said Dr. Rafael Pelayo, a sleep specialist and clinical professor at Stanford University, predicting the need for artificial light boxes, more warning signs at crosswalks and police on the streets.

The 鈥榓bility to wake up鈥�

Pelayo is on the board of r, a national organization that advocates for pushing start times back for older students to 8:30 a.m. 鈥� often an hour later than many high schools start now. Districts in 46 states have made the shift, and California passed , going into effect this fall, that delays start times to at least 8 a.m for middle school and 8:30 a.m. for high school.听

Terra Ziporyn Snider, the organization鈥檚 executive director, said it鈥檚 likely more states could follow California鈥檚 lead if the bill becomes law. Legislation this session is on its way to Gov. Kathy Hochul and has been introduced in and .听

Research shows from pushing start times to at least 8:30 a.m., Troxel said, and allowing teens more time to snooze already has bipartisan support. Rubio has endorsed , and progressive Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York she鈥檚 still angry that her high school鈥檚 trigonometry and pre-calculus classes started at 7:20 a.m.听

But year-round daylight saving time 鈥渨ould work against later school start times,鈥� especially in northern regions of the country and on the western edges of time zones, where the sun rises later, said Dr. Beth Malow, a professor of neurology and pediatrics at Vanderbilt University.听

鈥淚 honestly think legislators don鈥檛 understand it,鈥� Malow said. 鈥淜ids will be going to school in the dark. That affects their getting enough sleep and their ability to wake up and be alert for school.鈥�

The Congressional push has yet to meet with concerted opposition from educators or their advocates in Washington. The National PTA, the nation鈥檚 two largest teachers unions and the National School Boards Association support efforts to make .

鈥極ne more cup of coffee鈥�

If the bill becomes law, students say they鈥檒l adjust.听

Sara Falluji, a junior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington. Kentucky, thinks more light in the evening will benefit 鈥� not harm 鈥� students鈥� moods.

鈥淪tudents are inside the school building for seven to eight hours on average,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat means minimal time spent outside, something that is really important for the mental and physical health of students.鈥�

She also sees an upside for young drivers. Driving to school before sunup can help teens with learner鈥檚 permits clock the required number of nighttime driving hours, she said.

In general, however, teens are thinking about what they鈥檒l be able to do after school with more daylight.听

Raima Dutt, another Kentucky student, plays golf, a fall sport. She agreed she鈥檇 prefer to have more light at the end of the day.听

鈥淎s the season goes on, we have to rush our practices and games to finish before the sun sets,鈥� said the sophomore at duPont Manual High School in Louisville. She added that darkness at dinner time makes her feel rushed in the evenings.

Devin Walton, a ninth-grader at South High School in Torrance, California, likes science and said he doesn鈥檛 have a hard time paying attention in biology, his first class of the day. He鈥檚 also a runner and has track meets that can stretch into the early evening.听

鈥淚 would feel pressure to leave work and rush home to make sure he鈥檚 not riding his bike or walking home in the dark,鈥� said his mother Krystal Walton. 鈥淚 feel like it鈥檚 just one hour. We might make one more cup of coffee.鈥�