Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, when most Americans set their clocks back one hour and return to standard time. Hawaii and most of Arizona skip the change, along with Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. Daylight saving time returns Sunday, March 14, 2027.
The fall switch gives you an extra hour of sleep, and sleep doctors say it’s easier on the body than spring’s lost hour. But the change still comes with a few surprises, starting with one that began this weekend overseas.
Why are the US and Europe out of sync this week?
Europe moved first. Clocks across the European Union fell back early Sunday, Oct. 25, because Europe ends summer time on the last Sunday of October. The U.S. waits until the first Sunday of November.
That leaves one awkward week. Until Nov. 1, New York is four hours behind London instead of the usual five. If you call family abroad, work with an overseas team or catch an international flight this week, double check every time. For families who keep in touch with relatives in the Caribbean, Africa or Europe on a weekly call, that standing time may have just shifted.
When daylight saving time ends, what happens to your body?
Your internal clock doesn’t change when your phone does with daylight saving time. Taruj Ali, medical director of sleep medicine at Mary Washington Healthcare, told The Washington Post that kids and early risers often keep waking at the same biological time, so a usual 5 a.m. wake up suddenly becomes 4 a.m.
Shift workers feel it most. Ali said people working nights or swing shifts are already working against their body clocks, and the time change can affect their alertness on the job. That includes the nurses, warehouse workers, drivers and security officers who keep cities running overnight.
The fall change is still gentler than spring’s. One U.K. study found adults slept about 30 to 40 minutes longer on the day clocks fell back.
How can you prepare for daylight saving time ending?
Start a few days early. Ali recommends pushing your bedtime and wake up time about 15 to 20 minutes later each night for three to four nights before the change. You don’t need to shift the full hour, since even a partial adjustment helps.
If your schedule won’t allow that, focus on getting plenty of sleep in the days before. After the switch, spend 15 to 20 minutes outside soon after waking, because morning light is the strongest signal for resetting your body clock. If you wake too early, wait until your normal wake up time before heading into the light.
Why does the time change matter for Election Day?
Here’s the timing most people miss. The Nov. 3 midterm elections fall just two days after the clocks change, which means many voters will leave work in the dark for the first time this season. If you plan to vote after work, give yourself extra time, bring a light if you walk and consider voting early or by mail where your state allows.
Will daylight saving time end for good?
Not yet. The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act 308 to 117 in July, but the bill needs 60 votes in the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune said senators are divided and no vote has been scheduled. Sen. Tom Cotton has warned it could repeat the failed 1974 experiment with year round daylight saving time.
Sleep experts want the opposite. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the National Sleep Foundation and others support permanent standard time, saying it better matches the body’s natural rhythm. The Sunshine for Our Kids Act of 2026 would do that, but it hasn’t advanced in the House.
The public mostly agrees on one thing. A 2024 YouGov poll found 63% of Americans want to stop changing the clocks altogether.
For now, the hour comes back Sunday. Use it well.
