When Does Daylight Savings Time End in 2024?

Daylight savings time is one of the most polarizing ideas ever. Whether you're a fan of springing ahead or falling back, the changes to your waking and sleep schedules take some serious adjusting. Whether you love the extra sunlight or shun it in favor of more time in bed, get the scoop on daylight savings time: Why does it exist? When does daylight savings time start and end? And what's going on with the Sunshine Protection Act of 2023 ? Also, find out why some people like the time change—and why others claim it's actually pretty awful.

When Did Daylight Savings Time 2024 Start?

Daylight savings started on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 2 a.m. local time. This is when we experienced a "spring forward," as clocks moved up an hour.

When Does Daylight Savings Time 2024 End?

Daylight savings will end at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 3, 2024. At this time, clocks will "fall back" an hour.

However, if the Sunshine Protection Act of 2023 ever gets passed, our clocks will remain in daylight savings time permanently. It was introduced to Congress in March 2023 but has remained idle ever since (more about that later!).

Related: 150 Good Morning Quotes

What Is the Origin of Daylight Savings Time?

Contrary to popular belief, daylight savings time didn't originate as a service to farmers—it was actually a method first used in Germany and Britain in World War I to save fuel; however, farmers argued it made their lives more difficult because they had less time to bring their crops and products to markets. Later proponents said that daylight savings made Americans spend more money because they were more likely to go shopping after work if it was still light outside.

"Golf ball sales skyrocketed during daylight saving time," Michael Downing, author of Spring Forward :  The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time, told Time . "Baseball is a huge early supporter, too, because there's no artificial illumination of parks, so to get school kids and workers to ball games with the extended daylight, they have a later start time."

However, other industries, like movie theaters, said it hurt their bottom lines because people are less likely to go into a dark theater when it's bright outside.

Eventually, it became a problem when some cities observed daylight savings time while others didn't. As a result, in 1966,  President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act, declaring six months with daylight savings time and six months without, and individual states could opt in or out depending on their constituents' needs to avoid confusion between municipalities.

Seven years later,  President Richard Nixon called for permanent daylight savings time to cope with the fuel embargo, but it didn't last long, and it went back to lasting six months per year. In 1986, daylight savings time was upped to seven months, and in 2005 to eight.

All that said, it's debatable whether or not daylight savings time actually saves energy or fuel, with some locations reporting that it increases energy use. 

Do You Get More Sleep on Daylight Savings Day?

Depending on your individual sleep schedule, you may get an extra hour of sleep on Daylight Savings Day this November (when daylight savings time ends). Why? Because clocks will "turn back" overnight. Back in March, though, most people lost an hour of sleep when it began.

Why Do We Still Have Daylight Savings Time?

With all the fuss and potential drawbacks, why do we still have daylight savings time? According to the United States Department of Transportation , daylight savings time saves energy because people use fewer lights in their homes and spend more time outdoors. It also correlates with fewer traffic accidents and injuries, as more people are commuting during daylight. There is even a reduction in crime rates because of increased daylight.

Related:  Is 7 Hours of Sleep Enough? Experts Share the Truth

What States Don't Observe Daylight Savings Time? What States Are Getting Rid of Daylight Savings Time?

Hawaii and most (but not all) of Arizona do not observe daylight savings time. Other United States territories, including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands,  Puerto Rico  and the  Virgin Islands , also don't.

In 2018, California and Florida opted to switch to daylight savings time permanently, but legally, Congress has to authorize such a move. So far, that hasn't happened. 

What Are the Negative Effects of Daylight Savings Time? Why Should We Get Rid of Daylight Savings Time?

Daylight savings time can mess with your body's circadian rhythms, which can have other detrimental effects on your physical and mental health.

"Jet lag happens because circadian rhythms adapt sluggishly to time zone changes. When you travel across time zones, the body's circadian clock adjusts in a day or two to the new cycle of local light-and-dark. But in the case of daylight saving time (DST), clock time changes while the dark-light cycle doesn't," Richard E. Cytowic, MD, MFA, professor of neurology at George Washington University, explained to Psychology Today . "The result is a discrepancy between your biological clock and the social clock, with a number of untoward consequences."

Those consequences can be scary: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that more than half of adults felt "drained" and "inefficient" following the switch to daylight savings time, and six studies found a 5% to 15% increased risk of heart attack in the days immediately following the switch to daylight savings, with a nearly 25% increase alone on the first day of the time change. There are also upticks in traffic accidents , emergency room visits, suicide attempts and patients suffering from depression.

What Would Happen if We Got Rid of Daylight Savings Time?

If we got rid of daylight savings time, people would have a reduced chance of cardiac episodes, reduced risk of strokes, economic boosts (companies wouldn't have to adjust their schedules) and reduced risk of auto accidents. However, people who practice certain religions may have difficulty with the change if they need to attend prayer services at sunrise and still get to work by certain early morning hours.

Related:  These 35 Funny Sleep Memes Cover Insomnia, Naps and That Dreaded Alarm Clock

Why Do People Want Permanent Daylight Savings Time?

Former Utah Senator Orrin Hatch is among the proponents of making daylight savings time permanent. In an opinion piece for  Time , Hatch made the following argument:

"Each year, we see higher rates of depression associated with less exposure to sunlight; higher energy consumption across the country; higher traffic fatalities with more Americans driving in the dark; higher incidence of crime; and a steep decline in retail sales with fewer consumers willing to shop at night," he wrote. "Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we observe a time change that ultimately hurts small businesses and makes life more difficult for individuals struggling with anxiety and depression? Our economy is on the ropes, and the number of Americans reporting mental illness has reached record levels. So why would we change our clocks this November knowing it will only make the situation worse?"

🛒🛒 SIGN UP for our Pop Shop newsletter & get the best deals, problem-solving products & cool finds right in your inbox 🛍️

When Will Daylight Savings Time Become Permanent Thanks to the Sunshine Protection Act?

There's some understandable confusion about daylight savings time these days, especially after there was so much talk about the first  Sunshine Protection Act  passing (unanimously!) in the Senate back in March 2022 . 

If the bill had passed, daylight savings time would have become permanent on Nov. 5, 2023—meaning that the clocks would remain at the same time they shifted to back on March 12, 2023, without changing again in November.

However, the bill did not pass in 2023, so we fell back in November 2023 and sprang forward again on March 10, 2024.

If the new version of the bill ever gets passed, we won't need to switch clocks anymore, but that's not the case yet. 

Related:  Out Like a Light—We've Got the Best 130 Sleep Quotes Before You Go Catch Some Z's!

How Can I Get a Healthy Amount of Sleep With Daylight Savings Time?

There are steps you can take to keep daylight savings time from disrupting your sleep patterns and circadian rhythms. Experts recommend adjusting your sleep schedule in 15-minute increments in the days leading up to daylight savings time changes. Also, exercising and enjoying sunlight the morning of daylight savings time will jolt your internal clock to the current time. It's also advised to avoid caffeine, alcohol and naps, and keep electronics and light out of your bedroom for at least an hour before you go to sleep.

Up Next:

Related: Is Waking Up in the Middle of the Night Normal? Here's What Sleep Doctors Say