How Many Days Until Daylight Saving Time Starts?
DST Start 2026
Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Spring Forward: Set clocks forward 1 hour
DST End 2025
Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Fall Back: Set clocks back 1 hour
About Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months so that evening daylight lasts longer, while sacrificing normal sunrise times. Typically, clocks are adjusted forward one hour in the spring ("spring forward") and adjusted backward in the autumn ("fall back").
History and Purpose of DST
Origins
While Benjamin Franklin is often credited with the concept, modern DST was first proposed by New Zealand entomologist George Hudson in 1895. Germany was the first country to implement it in 1916 during World War I as a way to conserve coal.
Energy Savings
One of the main rationales for DST is energy conservation. When people spend more waking hours in natural daylight, they use less electricity for lighting and appliances. However, modern studies show mixed results on actual energy savings.
Evening Activities
Extended evening daylight promotes outdoor leisure activities, boosts retail shopping, and may reduce traffic accidents and crime during the longer daylight hours. This is often cited as a benefit for quality of life and local economies.
Modern Debates
The practice has become increasingly controversial, with many calling for either permanent standard time or permanent DST. The debate centers around disruption to sleep patterns, economic impacts, and whether the benefits outweigh the costs.
Tips for Adjusting to Time Changes
Spring Forward (Losing an Hour)
- Prepare gradually: Go to bed and wake up 15 minutes earlier each day for the four days before the transition
- Morning light: Get exposure to bright light early in the morning to help reset your circadian rhythm
- Avoid naps: Resist the urge to take long naps, which can further disrupt your sleep cycle
- Limit caffeine: Avoid caffeine after noon in the days surrounding the transition
- Evening routine: Dim lights and avoid screens 1-2 hours before bedtime to help your body prepare for sleep
Fall Back (Gaining an Hour)
- Adjust gradually: Push your bedtime 15 minutes later for a few days before the change
- Morning schedule: Try to maintain your morning routine at the new clock time
- Afternoon light: Get natural light exposure in the late afternoon to help prevent early evening sleepiness
- Exercise: Physical activity can help you stay alert when your body thinks it's bedtime
- Evening meals: Consider eating dinner a bit later to adjust to the new schedule
Health Impacts of Time Changes
Cardiac Risk
Studies have shown a small but measurable increase in heart attacks in the days following the spring transition, likely due to sleep disruption and stress.
Cognitive Effects
Sleep disruption can lead to reduced concentration, memory problems, and decreased cognitive performance for up to a week after the time change.
Sleep Disruption
The average person loses 40 minutes of sleep following the spring transition. This sleep debt can accumulate and affect mood and performance.
Accident Rates
Fatal traffic accidents increase by approximately 6% in the days following the spring DST transition, according to research in the American Economic Journal.
DST Around the World
Countries That Use DST
About 70 countries observe DST in at least part of the country. Most of North America and Europe follow DST, but the specific dates of change may vary.
Countries That Don't Use DST
Most countries near the equator don't observe DST since daylight hours are relatively consistent throughout the year. This includes most of Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of South America.
Countries That Abolished DST
Several countries have ended DST in recent years, including Russia (2014), Turkey (2016), and Argentina (2009). The European Union has voted to end mandatory DST changes, allowing member states to choose permanent standard time or DST.
Unique Cases
Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii don't observe DST in the US. China spans five geographical time zones but uses a single standard time countrywide without DST.
DST Facts and Trivia
The official spelling is "Daylight Saving Time" (not "Savings" with an s), as it refers to the action of saving daylight.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is responsible for overseeing DST in the United States, not NASA or the weather service as many believe.
The candy lobby once pushed for an extension of DST to include Halloween, hoping for more daylight trick-or-treating hours and increased candy sales.
During the 1970s energy crisis, the U.S. observed DST for a full 15 months without interruption, from January 1974 to April 1975.