When Does The Time Change? Daylight Saving Time Ends, But Not For Everyone

When do the clocks go back an hour and which states still participate in daylight saving time? If you haven’t heard about this weekend’s time change you may wake up an hour earlier than you need to on Sunday morning.

That’s right, it’s time for daylight saving time (DST) to come to an end and that means a whole lot less daylight as we head into the chilly months of winter.

However, daylight saving time doesn’t apply to everyone — there are several U.S. states and territories that don’t participate in the ever-so-annoying clock changing that takes place in the fall and again in the spring.

So, what time do we actually set the clocks back on November 6, and who won’t have to change the clocks at all? Here’s some timely advice for you.

As if we don’t have enough to think about with the 2016 Presidential Election just a few days away, if you live in a state that observes daylight saving time, put “turn clocks back an hour” on your to-do list this weekend.

And speaking of presidential elections, Yahoo! Finance reports that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said that she would consider doing away with daylight saving time if she gets elected president. So far, Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, hasn’t weighed in on the topic.

There’s a small perk to be had if daylight saving time is ending in your area of the country this weekend — you will gain an hour of sleep because in the fall the clocks go back an hour starting at 2 a.m. in your time zone. Scroll down for a list of states that don’t participate in DST.

Although the notion of getting an extra hour of sleep sounds great, a report issued by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development reveals that people aren’t all that thrilled with the time change — whether it’s forward or backward.

“The strong, repetitive drumbeat in those comments was convenience. Many people don’t want to move their clocks, whether it’s backward, forward, or sideways. They just want to pick a time and stick with it.”

If changing the clocks is a major annoyance, you may want to pack your bags and move to one of the two states or four U.S. territories that don’t participate in daylight saving time.

According to National Geographic, while most states currently observe the time change, people who live in Arizona (except Navaho Nation) and Hawaii won’t have to turn their clocks back on November 6.

If you live in the following U.S. territories, you won’t have to worry about changing your clocks either — the U.S. Virgin Island, Guam, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico.

Spare a moment for English Heritage, out there all morning at Stonehenge… #TimeChange pic.twitter.com/G5iPgL3M1u

— Pádraig Belton (@PadraigBelton) October 30, 2016

And for the majority of us who will be setting our clocks back an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 6, don’t get too excited about sleeping in — you may not even notice that you got an extra hour of sleep.

The Huffington Post reports that just because your alarm is essentially going off an hour later, your may wake up at the same time that you did before DST ended.

“Our internal body clock tends to be way more sensitive to light than time. And when it comes to ending daylight saving time, we don’t actually repeat that early-morning hour. In other words, even if your alarm goes off an hour later, you might find yourself waking up at the same time because your body wants to stay on the schedule you’re used to.”

If you live in a state that does observe daylight saving time, it won’t be long before you have to be reminded to change your clocks again. On Sunday, March 12, 2017, DST will begin again and you will have to move the clocks again one hour.

[Featured Image by Photo by Paul Polinet/Getty Images]