Your body’s internal clock is gearing up for the end of daylight saving time (DST) if it is getting dark before dinner and your morning coffee feels a little early. Yes, we “fall back” this time again as the biannual clock confusion is back. Clocks will go back to 1 a.m. local standard time on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at 2 a.m., marking the official end of DST. So, depending on your lifestyle choices, you will either get an extra hour of sleep or get your hands on Netflix. It’s virtually a holiday for night owls!
For those who rise early? It is a small victory. In any case, on November 2, sunrise and sunset will occur about one hour earlier than on the previous day. Unbelievably, it all started as a commendable attempt to save energy. The Farmer’s Almanac says the purpose of daylight saving time was to add daylight in the summer evenings and cut it in the winter so that there were brighter mornings. Since the Uniform Time Act of 1966, it has been the American way, at least for most states.
However, if it seems like we’ve been talking about it for ages, that’s because we have. The movement to make DST permanent has gained steam in recent years. President Donald Trump gave two opinions. He promised to work toward permanent standard time and the end of DST in December 2024. However, by April 2025, he had “flipped.” He made a case with Congress to make daylight saving time permanent instead, describing it as “very popular” and a “big inconvenience” to reset the clocks constantly.
Meanwhile, the Sunshine Protection Act, an agreement between both parties that would make DST permanent nationwide, keeps coming up for a second vote. It has not yet moved in the House after passing the Senate in 2022. Although 29 states, including Pennsylvania, are lobbying for federal action to stop the twice-yearly switcheroo as of 2025, Congress has not taken the correct step. Your microwave, car dashboard, and clocks are going to keep asking for that yearly poke.
🕰️ Most Americans want to end clock changes — but how we do it matters.
👎Permanent daylight saving time harms our health & safety.
👍Permanent standard time is the science-backed, healthier choice.
Let’s ditch the switch the right way. Learn more here: https://t.co/TdLEG58urm
— DitchDST (@DitchDst) May 20, 2025
Standard time continues to apply until March 9, 2025, when daylight saving time resumes and clocks “spring forward” by one hour soon after we fall back this November. We get about eight months of post-work daylight and late sunsets from then until November 2.
For those keeping track, here’s the DST cheat sheet:
| Event | Date | Action | Time change |
|---|---|---|---|
| DST Starts | March 9, 2025 | Spring Forward | +1 hour |
| DST Ends | November 2, 2025 | Fall Back | -1 hour |
So, when we fall back with DST this year, you will, in fact, gain an hour. This gives you more time to do whatever you want with your just-earned 60 minutes: sleep, snack, or browse!
Hawaii and the majority of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time, as compared to the bulk of the United States. U.S. territories such as the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico also don’t. They have totally opted to steer clear of the semiannual time shift and remain in the same time zone all year long, which upsets many Americans who struggle with sleep envy every November and March! There is only so much darkness without DST, so don’t let the thought of falling back make you feel lost.
With only about nine hours and seventeen minutes of daylight, December 21, 2025, the winter solstice, will be the shortest day of the year. The days then slowly begin to grow longer once more. In between, make full use of your extra hour, sip your pumpkin latte, and keep in mind that your smartphone will take care of DST changes by itself.
