Daylight saving time concludes this year on Sunday, November 2, when residents in most U.S. states set their clocks back one hour, from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m.
The practice shifts time forward in spring and back in fall to maximize daylight. “Spring forward, fall back” helps recall the pattern, rooted in World War I energy-saving efforts. Germany and Austria adopted it in 1916; the U.S. followed in 1918 via the Standard Time Act, amended by the 2005 Energy Policy Act to set current dates: the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Forty-eight states observe the change. Arizona (except the Navajo Nation), Hawaii, and five U.S. territories — American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — skip it, per the 1966 Uniform Time Act, which allows states to opt for year-round standard time.
Twenty states, including Texas, Alabama, and Florida, have passed measures to permanently adopt daylight saving time, pending congressional approval. The “Texas Time” bill (HB 1393), signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on June 20, awaits federal action in order to take effect.
The Sunshine Protection Act, reintroduced in both the U.S. House and Senate in January 2025, would make daylight saving time permanent; however, it has not yet reached a vote in either chamber. In 2022, the Senate passed it unanimously, but the House stalled.
In December 2024, then-President-elect Donald Trump pushed to end daylight saving time: “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.”
Health concerns fuel debate. In 2023, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine joined groups like the National Sleep Foundation to back permanent standard time, citing risks like heart attacks, strokes, and sleep disruption.
Dr. Darien Sutton, ABC News medical correspondent, advised gradual bedtime shifts, short naps before 3 p.m., morning sunlight exposure, and cutting back on alcohol and caffeine to help ease the transition back to standard time.
For kids, parenting expert Ericka Souter suggested easing adjustments: “To help your child’s body adjust, don’t just move bedtime. Start moving everything – meals, naps, and wake times – earlier by about 10 to 15 minutes each day leading up to the time change.”
She added, per ABC News, “Even with the best plan, most kids need a few days or sometimes a full week to adjust. Don’t panic if you see crankiness, clinginess, or appetite changes. It’s normal, and it will pass.”