‘Fall back’ this weekend for daylight saving time. Here’s what you need to know

History of daylight saving time

Daylight saving time, or DST, was formally introduced in the U.S. in 1918 during World War I.

For those clamoring for extra sleep, now you'll get to reset your sleep routine with daylight saving time several days away.

This weekend, it’ll be time to set your clocks back an hour for the twice annual time change.

Here’s what you need to know about the time change.

What is daylight saving time?

Starting Sunday, Nov. 5 after midnight, our clocks will fall back an hour, meaning extra sleep, but sunrise and sunset will be an hour earlier than the day before, meaning more light in the morning.

The next time change happens on March 10, 2024 at 2 a.m. and we leap forward again. During this time, clocks are set an hour ahead, meaning you lose an hour of sleep to "spring forward." Sunrise and sunset will be an hour later on March 10, 2024, than the day before. There will be extra light in the evening.

According to federal law, daylight saving time always starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

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The practice of falling back in the U.S. started in 1918 during World War I to conserve fuel. By moving the clocks ahead an hour, backers believed the country could divert a little of coal-fired electricity to the military instead of using it for an hour of home power. It was reenacted in World War II.

Separately, it was repealed again when the war ended, but some states — and even some cities — continued to observe daylight saving time while others kept standard time year-round. That meant driving relatively short distances could result in a time change.

By 1966, airlines and other businesses tired of such quirks and pushed Congress to pass the Uniform Time Act. It classified daylight saving time, although it's been adjusted occasionally.

Which states observe daylight saving time?

Everywhere in the U.S., except Hawaii and most of Arizona, observes the time change. To make matters more confusing, Navajo Nation in Arizona does observe DST. Some U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, also do not change their clocks twice a year, FOX Weather noted.

Could daylight saving time become permanent?

In 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent across the U.S. starting in 2023. However, the legislation was not passed in the House of Representatives, and was not signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Over the past five years, states have increasingly pushed to remain on daylight saving time. Citing the Farmers' Almanac, FOX Weather noted that at least 33 have attempted to keep daylight saving time year-round through state legislative efforts.

Florida and California state lawmakers voted in 2018 to make daylight saving time permanent, but the change still requires approval from the U.S. House of Representatives. According to the USDOT, federal law allows an individual state not to observe daylight saving time. Still, it does not allow states to make daylight saving time permanent, FOX Weather reported.

Congress regularly considers the possibility of making daylight saving time year-round, citing health concerns about the effects of time changes.

FOX Weather and FOX 2 Detroit reporter Jack Nissen contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.

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