Daylight saving time ends tonight. Here's when to set your clocks back

At 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 1, clocks across most of the United States fell back one hour, ending the daylight saving time period for 2026. The shift returned the nation to standard time, granting residents an additional hour of sleep and altering the distribution of daylight throughout the day. Under the new schedule, sunsets will occur earlier in the evening, with many locations seeing the sun dip below the horizon before 5 p.m. local time. The change marks the final step in the annual cycle that began in March, when clocks moved forward to maximize evening daylight during the warmer months. The transition occurred simultaneously in nearly all fifty states, with the notable exceptions of Hawaii and most of Arizona, which do not observe daylight saving time. However, the Navajo Nation in Arizona is an exception to the state's exemption and did participate in the time change. For the rest of the country, the adjustment means that mornings will feature more natural light, while evenings will arrive sooner. In Boston, for instance, the National Weather Service reported that while the sun rose at 7:16 a.m. and set at 5:39 p.m. on Saturday, the times on Sunday adjusted to a 6:17 a.m. sunrise and a 4:37 p.m. sunset. Digital devices such as cellphones typically update automatically, but owners of analog clocks were advised to adjust their timepieces manually. The timing of the change coincided with renewed political pressure regarding the future of the practice. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the twice-yearly clock adjustments, describing them as ridiculous and stating that they drive everyone crazy. Speaking at a rally in Mississippi on October 26, Trump expressed frustration with the annual ritual. His comments reflect a broader legislative push to eliminate the seasonal changes entirely. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14, a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. The legislation aims to shift an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening during the winter months, thereby extending evening light for leisure and commercial activities. Despite the House vote, the bill remains stalled in the Senate. Lawmakers have yet to take action on the measure, leading to speculation that it may expire when the current congressional session concludes in early January. If the bill dies, the process would need to restart with a new election cycle. President Trump recently intensified his advocacy for the bill, posting what he identified as the personal cellphone number of Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas on social media. Trump urged citizens to contact the senator directly, accusing him of holding up the legislation. Cotton, a vocal opponent of permanent daylight saving time, argued that previous attempts at year-round daylight saving resulted in absurdly late winter sunrises. He noted that when the United States experimented with permanent daylight saving time in the 1970s, public approval plummeted from 79 percent to 42 percent within three months due to the difficulty of navigating dark mornings. Health experts offer a different perspective on the optimal time standard. While supporters of the Sunshine Protection Act argue that later sunsets benefit economic activity and safety, sleep specialists generally recommend making standard time permanent instead. Dr. Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, stated that permanent standard time better aligns with human circadian rhythms. She explained that increased morning light is crucial for regulating sleep and wakefulness. Other researchers have warned that permanent daylight saving time could increase pedestrian vehicle collisions due to darker morning commutes. The history of daylight saving time in the United States dates back to 1918, when it was implemented during World War I to conserve fuel. Although Congress repealed the mandate after the war, allowing states to decide individually, the lack of uniformity led to confusion. Congress established a uniform national schedule in 1966. Experiments with year-round daylight saving time during World War II and the 1970s energy crisis ultimately failed, leading to the current system of seasonal adjustments. Nineteen states have passed their own laws attempting to adopt permanent daylight saving time, but these measures cannot take effect until Congress acts nationally. The debate highlights a split in public opinion, with some valuing the extended evening light and others prioritizing consistent morning schedules. As the country settles into standard time, the focus turns to whether the legislative gridlock will persist. The next scheduled change to daylight saving time is set for March 14, 2027, assuming no further legislative intervention occurs in the interim. Until then, Americans will navigate the shorter days and earlier darkness characteristic of the approaching winter season.