It's that time of year again; clocks are being turned back, and people are gaining an hour of sleep. That being said, what is daylight saving time, and what is its purpose?
Simply stated, daylight saving is the act of shifting an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening, with the goal being to make better use of daylight hours.
This Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, the U.S. will be falling back and gaining an hour of sleep. Sunday at 2 a.m. is when the extra hour will be added.
While extra sleep is often appreciated, this event will cause the sun to rise and set about an hour earlier every day until it's time to spring forward in March.
Daylight saving started in 1918 during World War I to extend the workday and was repealed after the war ended. This cycle happened again during World War II. Daylight saving finally stuck in 1966 with the Uniform Time Act, starting with what is known as "spring forward" and ending with what is known as "fall back."
There is a great deal of discourse on whether or not daylight saving is necessary or beneficial. Some states, such as Indiana and Arizona, have counties that do not participate in the event, and the entirety of Hawaii disregards it.
Whether or not people find it beneficial, due to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. will spring forward on the second Sunday of every March and fall back the first Sunday of every November.
For now, Americans can get their pillows and blankets ready for a longer night's rest this Sunday and try to remember that feeling when losing an hour of sleep in March.
