By Fatma Younis
Daylight saving time ends Sunday across most of the United States, giving Americans an extra hour of sleep as clocks move back one hour at 2 a.m.
When does daylight saving time end?
Daylight saving time began at 2 a.m. on March 8 and ends at 2 a.m. Sunday. Unlike the spring shift, clocks will jump from 1:59 a.m. back to 1 a.m., and the sun will set earlier as the country heads into late fall and winter.
How long will standard time last?
Standard time will remain in effect until March 14, when daylight saving time starts again. The next end date is November 7. Since 2007, the uniform schedule has set the start for the second Sunday in March and the end for the first Sunday in November.
Why do we observe daylight saving time?
The practice was established by the Standard Time Act of 1918 to extend evening daylight in summer. It was repealed in 1919, reinstated during World War II, and standardized nationally by the Uniform Time Act of 1966. President Richard Nixon briefly imposed year-round daylight saving time in 1974, but Congress reversed it after public backlash over dark mornings.
Which states don’t observe?
Hawaii and most of Arizona do not change their clocks. The U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands also observe permanent standard time.
What recent efforts have been made to end the practice?
Nineteen states have passed legislation to adopt year-round daylight saving time over the past seven years, but federal law currently prohibits the change. The Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, but it stalled in the House. A 2025 House version also stalled, and in October 2026 President Donald Trump urged Senate Republicans to advance the bill.
What do health experts say?
Some studies suggest permanent daylight saving time could reduce traffic accidents and crime. However, many sleep and health researchers oppose it, warning that darker mornings would increase risks for children traveling to school and that misalignment with the sun’s cycle poses broader health hazards. Sleep experts generally favor the current twice-yearly switch over permanent daylight saving time.
