At 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, clocks go back to 1 a.m., so that hour happens twice. Daylight saving time always ends on the first Sunday in November, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Not everyone changes their clocks. Per NIST, daylight saving time isn’t observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona (the Navajo Nation there does observe it), American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you live in one of those places, your clocks stay put, though the times of your favorite shows and calls in other states will shift.

Your body runs on an internal clock, the circadian rhythm, that helps decide when you feel alert and when you feel sleepy. According to Sleep Education, a site from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), that clock is set partly by sunlight, especially morning light. Move your schedule an hour and it takes a little while to realign.

How long is “a little while”? Sources differ:

Either way, you’ll probably notice it most in the first few mornings: waking before your alarm, feeling sleepy before your usual bedtime or getting hungry for dinner an hour early.

In the days before (Wednesday to Saturday)

Saturday night

Sunday and the week after

For more on keeping your rhythm steady all year, see these ways to keep your body clock in sync and our explainer on how your body clock works.

This is the one place the advice splits, so here are both views, side by side.

Why the difference? Timing light is about which direction you’re trying to push your body clock, and these sources frame the goal differently. AASM’s advice centers on anchoring your clock to the new morning. Dr. Young’s is aimed at nudging it later so you don’t wake too early. We haven’t seen a sleep-medicine consensus that settles it for everyone.

What both agree on: get real daylight every day, keep a consistent wake time and protect your sleep. If you regularly have trouble sleeping or feel tired during the day, Sleep Education advises talking to your doctor or an accredited sleep center.

Not yet. Two competing bills would end the twice-a-year switch, but neither has become law.

Sleep experts back the second option. The AASM and the Coalition for Permanent Standard Time argue that permanent standard time best matches the body’s natural rhythm because it keeps more morning light. “This should be the last time we ever have to change our clocks,” said Dr. Karin Johnson, a sleep medicine physician and co-chair of the coalition’s steering committee.

For now, plan on falling back this year, and test yourself with our daylight saving time trivia quiz.

Earlier sunsets can drag your mood down along with your energy. Clinical psychologist Annie Mueller, PhD, writes in Psychology Today that seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects an estimated 5 percent of people in the U.S., and that many more notice milder seasonal changes in mood or energy.

The difference between winter blues and SAD matters. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, SAD is a type of depression with a recurring seasonal pattern, and a diagnosis generally requires depressive episodes during a specific season for at least two years in a row. Only a health care provider or mental health specialist can tell you whether that’s what’s going on.

Mueller’s prevention toolkit is practical:

1. Plan activities ahead and keep them small and regular, like a standing coffee date or a weekly class.
2. Protect your sleep and other daily habits.
3. Seek out light and warmth, whether that’s daylight outside, a bright window or a light therapy box.
4. Move outdoors on purpose. A little bit counts.
5. Know your red flags, such as canceling plans or dreading the season, so you can act early.
6. Line up support from friends and family before you need it.

For more ideas, see our tips to help you avoid SAD this season and these ways to beat the winter blues.

If low mood gets in the way of daily life or causes you real distress, talk to a doctor or a mental health professional. Mueller notes that therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective and short-term. If you’re ever thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the U.S. to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

When does daylight saving time end in 2026?

At 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. Clocks fall back to 1 a.m.

Do we gain or lose an hour of sleep?

You gain an hour. The night of Saturday, Oct. 31, into Sunday, Nov. 1, is one hour longer, so if you go to bed at your usual time, you get an extra hour.

How long does it take to adjust to the time change?

Sleep Education, from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, says most people adjust within a few days. Inova’s Dr. Cecilia Young puts the average at about eight days.

How do I adjust my sleep before the clocks go back?

Shift your bedtime, meals and exercise a little later in the days before (Dr. Young suggests 15 to 30 minutes a day), set your clocks back on Saturday evening, go to bed at your normal time, then keep a consistent wake time and limit late caffeine.

Is Congress getting rid of the time change?

Not yet. The Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, passed the House in July and is now with a Senate committee. The Sunshine for Our Kids Act, which would make standard time permanent, is in a House committee. Neither has become law.

Why do I feel down when it gets dark early, and is it SAD?

Shorter days and less light can affect mood and energy, and many people notice a seasonal dip. SAD is a form of depression that recurs in a seasonal pattern. If your mood is affecting daily life, talk to a health care provider or mental health professional.