US daylight saving time 2026 ends; clocks fall back 1 hour, sleep experts object
The United States ended daylight saving time for 2026, returning to standard time while the debate over making daylight saving permanent continues. Sleep experts advocate for permanent standard time, contradicting the White House's push for permanent daylight saving.
Why it matters
The ongoing debate highlights the tension between political policy goals and scientific consensus regarding human circadian rhythms and public health.
Most of the US turned its clocks back by an hour on Sunday, November 1, as daylight saving time ended for 2026. The switch happened at 2 am local time, the night after Halloween, giving millions an extra hour of sleep and much darker evenings until mid-March.The change comes as President Donald Trump pushes to make daylight saving time permanent. Sleep experts also want to scrap the twice-yearly switch, just not the way the White House does. They prefer permanent standard time, the very clock Americans returned to this weekend.Smartphones update on their own, but ovens, microwaves and car dashboards need a manual reset. Hawaii and most of Arizona skip DST, so their clocks stayed put, as did US territories like Puerto Rico and Guam. The Navajo Nation in Arizona does switch to match its communities in New Mexico and Utah.The difference shows quickly.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in