Most Americans lose one hour as clocks spring forward

At 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, March 8, most of the United States will set clocks ahead one hour to 3 a.m., beginning daylight saving time and costing most people one hour of sleep while pushing sunrise and sunset times one hour later by the clock. The change is the standard spring forward shift that runs until the first Sunday in November, when clocks revert at 2 a.m. on Nov. 1 to 1 a.m.

Households and businesses should prepare for the immediate effects: later morning light through much of March and April and extended evening daylight as the country moves into spring. Practical steps include setting manual clocks ahead at bedtime on Saturday, March 7, or adjusting devices when rising on Sunday, keeping in mind that resetting on Sunday morning means the clock will already read an hour later.

The seasonal shift is short but consequential for routines and public services. Commuters will encounter darker mornings for several weeks; parents and employers should expect the same abrupt loss of sleep that accompanies the spring change. Health experts have cautioned that abrupt clock shifts disrupt circadian rhythms and sleep patterns, amplifying the risks of fatigue for shift workers and drivers.

The domestic schedule is now operating alongside renewed policy debates over whether the twice‑yearly switch should end. On Feb. 4 the Daylight Act of 2026 was introduced in the House of Representatives; the bill would permanently move clocks forward by 30 minutes, a compromise between standard time and current daylight saving time, but the legislation has not been brought to a vote. Twenty states have passed measures or resolutions favoring year‑round daylight saving time, yet any nationwide permanent change requires Congressional approval.

The coming change also marks a jurisdictional divergence with Canada. British Columbia has adopted year‑round daylight saving time, making March 8 the last time residents there will change clocks. That decision will create a persistent time offset with neighboring U.S. jurisdictions that continue to observe the twice‑yearly switch unless Congress acts.

Globally, more than 70 countries observe some form of daylight saving time, and regional schedules vary. European countries generally shift earlier in March and return to standard time in October; in 2026 Europe’s clock change back is scheduled for Oct. 25. A handful of nations, including Iceland, Belarus and Russia, do not observe daylight saving time at all.

This year’s March 8 start is also a calendar curiosity: it is the earliest date DST can begin under current U.S. rules, the first time since 2020 that the start falls on that earliest possible date. Meteorological spring, defined for forecasting purposes, began March 1 and runs through May 31; astronomical spring starts with the vernal equinox on March 20 at 10:46 a.m. Eastern time.

For now, clocks across most of the United States will move forward by one hour as scheduled. The broader policy contest over a permanent adjustment to national timekeeping continues in Congress and in statehouses, leaving everyday schedules to the familiar twice‑yearly ritual until lawmakers reach a decision.