Skip to main content

Daylight Savings 2024: When Do We Fall Back?

daylight savings clock on pile of fall leaves

As the crisp fall air rushes in, there’s a big event looming in the background: the end of daylight savings 2024. Soon, many will be shuffling their schedules and reorganizing their days in anticipation of the one-hour time change. While an official end to daylight savings time has been discussed at the federal level for years, there’s no sign it’s going away anytime soon. With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about daylight savings.

What is Daylight Saving Time?

Daylight saving time (DST) is the time between spring and fall when people adjust their clocks to better align with more hours of daylight. You “spring forward” in March and set your clock one hour ahead. In November, you “fall back” and rewind your clock back one hour.

Daylight saving time may also be referred to as:

  • Daylight savings time
  • Daylight saving
  • Daylight time

Daylight Saving Time 2024: Dates and Time Changes

DST 2024 began on Sunday, March 10, at 2 a.m., and people adjusted their clocks ahead one hour. Daylight Savings 2024 ends on Sunday, November 3, at 2 a.m. local time. People will fall back and adjust their clocks back one hour.

Learn More: How to Make Each Morning a Great One

Purpose and Benefits of Daylight Saving Time

Why does DST exist? The purpose of daylight savings time is simple: to add more sunlight to your day. Just like we had the spring equinox on March 19, and the northern hemisphere experienced more hours of sunlight in a day, the fall equinox landed on September 22, making our hours of sunlight in a day shorter. Daylight saving time allows people to have more sunlight hours in the evening during spring and in the morning during fall.

And, optimizing natural sunlight in one’s day has several perks. Benefits of daylight savings time include:

  • More time to enjoy the outdoors. Whether you prefer a morning jog around the lake or gardening after work, there’s sunlight to help you do the things you love.
  • Safer streets and roadways. Most drivers and pedestrians benefit from being able to see their surroundings and potential hazards during daylight hours.
  • A boost to your mood. Getting outside and taking in the sun increases your serotonin levels, making you feel calmer and happier.   

Learn More: Sun Protection Dos and Don’ts

fall sunset during daylight savings time in suburban neighborhood

The History of Daylight Saving Time

The first city in the world enacted DST on July 1, 1908, in Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada. Later, Port Arthur joined Fort William, Neebing, and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay. The first states to adopt daylight savings were part of the German Empire and its ally, Austria-Hungary. This happened in 1916 and was done in an effort to preserve coal during World War I.

It was the United States Standard Time Act of 1918 that was the first U.S. federal law to implement both standard time and daylight savings time in the U.S. Contrary to popular belief that DST was implemented to benefit farmers, it was actually adopted to help save energy resources. In fact, farmers opposed daylight savings time then and still do today.  Farmers’ schedules rely on the sun—not the time. With daylight savings, farmers:

  • Lose precious hours of morning light, disrupting crop production
  • Must modify their time of milking, challenging them to adjust their cows to a new schedule
  • Have less time to work in the field, losing money for hours cut short

Daylight Savings Time Around the World

Daylight savings time doesn’t just happen in the United States and Canada. Other parts around the world observe daylight savings, too. Countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and South America all observe DST. Here are some of the countries where you’ll find DST:

  • Bahamas
  • Bermuda
  • Canada
  • Greenland
  • Haiti
  • Mexico
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • United States
  • European Union
  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Faroe Islands
  • Gibraltar
  • Guernsey
  • Isle of Man
  • Jersey
  • Kosovo
  • Liechtenstein
  • Monaco
  • Montenegro
  • North Macedonia
  • Northern Cyprus
  • Norway
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Switzerland
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom
  • Vatican City
  • Lebanon
  • Israel
  • Palestine
  • Egypt
  • Chile
  • Australia
  • New Zealand

How to Adjust to the Time Change

It’s important to get a good night’s rest for proper brain function during daytime hours. To maintain adequate rest, consider adjusting your sleep schedule a week before daylight savings time begins and ends. Slowly changing wake-up and bedtime to be earlier and earlier each day will allow you to ease into your new routine post-daylight savings.

Here are some ways to get better sleep:

  • Turn off devices, like TVs, tablets, and phones, at least one hour before bedtime.
  • Follow a calming bedtime routine that includes taking a warm bath or reading a book.
  • Don’t watch shows or movies near bedtime that can make it hard to fall asleep.
  • Use your bed just for sleeping, not working, so your body makes a better connection between bed and sleep.

person sleeping with clock after daylight savings time

How to Get a Great Night’s Sleep After Daylight Savings

If you struggle to get a good night’s rest, you’re not alone. An estimated 50 to 70 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders. Adjusting to a time change thanks to daylight savings 2024 doesn’t make it any easier. For a little help getting to dreamland, check out our article, “How to Get Your Best Night's Sleep Yet.” In it, you’ll find six easy tips to catching more zzzz’s.