for 2026 started early Sunday, meaning most Americans lost an hour of sleep overnight.
asserted
Americans → start → sleep
The annual ritual of having the clocks "spring forward" an hour ahead takes place on the second Sunday of March.
asserted
clocks → have → March
What is daylight saving time, exactly?
asserted
time → save → ?
By shifting clocks forward an hour, daylight saving time effectively moves an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening.
asserted
time → shift → evening
For example, on Saturday, the day before the time change took effect, sunrise in Boston was at 6:09 a.m. and sunset at 5:41 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
uncertain
sunrise → take → Service
On Sunday, after the clocks changed, the sun rises at 7:08 a.m. and sets at 6:42 p.m.
What day and time did daylight saving time start for March 2026?
asserted
time → change → March
This year, daylight saving time started on Sunday, March 8, at 2 a.m. local time.
asserted
time → save → a.m.
The start date has been on the second Sunday of March since 2007, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the official source of time for the Defense Department.
uncertain
date → accord → Department
For the two decades preceding 2007, daylight saving time began on the first Sunday of April.
asserted
time → precede → April
Before 1987, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 set the start date as the last Sunday of April.
asserted
Act → set → April
During the energy crisis of the 1970s, Congress decided to try year-round daylight saving time, beginning on the first Sunday of January in 1974, according to the Congressional Research Service.
uncertain
Congress → decide → Service
The experiment didn't last the full year, with the country going back to standard time that October and then resuming daylight saving time on the last Sunday of February in 1975.
asserted
country → last → 1975
After 1975, the start date went back to April.
asserted
date → go → April
Do we lose or gain an hour for daylight saving time in March?
asserted
we → lose → March
Most of the U.S. lost an hour Sunday from the changing of the clocks — at 2 a.m. the time jumped ahead to 3 a.m.
We "spring forward" ahead of the actual beginning of spring, which comes with the vernal equinox on March 20.
asserted
which → lose → March
Most Americans will "fall back" to standard time at 2 a.m. local time on the first Sunday of November, which this year is on Nov. 1.
asserted
which → fall → Nov.
Daylight saving time will be in effect for 238 days, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a government agency that provides the official time for the U.S.
Why do we have daylight saving time?
uncertain
we → save → time
Daylight saving time was Defense Department.
in the U.S. in 1918 in an effort to conserve fuel during World War I, according to the Congressional Research Service.
uncertain
time → conserve → Service
It was used during World War II for the same reason and to "promote national security and defense," according to theThe annual time change has been in effect consistently since the '60s, but it hasn't been found to be a significant source of decreasing energy consumption.
uncertain
it → use → consumption
In 1974, the Transportation Department found it had minimal benefits when it came to energy conservation, traffic safety and reducing violent crime, according to the Congressional Research Service.
uncertain
it → find → Service
After daylight saving time's start date was moved up in 2007, the Energy Department found electricity consumption fell by 0.03%.
asserted
consumption → save → %
The time shift has also been associated with some
.Which states don't do daylight saving time?
asserted
states → associate → time
The territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands also don't change their clocks.
asserted
territories → change → clocks
Will my phone change time for daylight saving automatically?
asserted
phone → change → saving
Phones should have updated with the time change on their own if they're set to update automatically.
asserted
they → update → own
Apple, Google and Samsung have support pages for people who need help changing the time on their devices, and carriers like Straight Talk and Tracfone have instructions for Motorola users.
asserted
carriers → have → users
The Aporia
