Daylight saving time ends early Sunday morning when most areas of the United States return to standard time.
The change occurs at 2 a.m., when clocks “fall back” one hour following eight months on daylight saving time. Many digital clocks on computers and other devices automatically reset to standard time. But some household clocks, wristwatches and vehicle clocks have to be manually set to standard time.
Federal law specifies that daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and runs until the first Sunday in November.
According to sleep specialists, standard time is better for human health because it is a more natural match to the body’s internal clock and positively affects cognition, mood, cardiovascular health and well-being through quality, restful sleep.
But the public is divided on time changes. A poll earlier this year by YouGov found that 62% of adults would like to “see the changing of the clocks eliminated,” but they don’t agree on how to achieve that. Half of respondents said they wanted permanent daylight saving time, 31% wanted permanent standard time, 25% had no preference and 4% were not sure.
Read about the history of daylight time changes here.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
