Daylight Saving Time 2026: When DST Starts and Ends in US and Canada? Date, Last Time Clocks Change, Affect on Your Health

Daylight saving time, the annual clock adjustment commonly referred to as “daylight savings,” is set to begin in 2026. As a result, most Americans will lose an hour of sleep when clocks “spring forward” this weekend. For nearly two decades, this practice of setting clocks one hour ahead has been observed on the second Sunday of March each year. 

When Does Daylight Saving Time Start? 

Daylight saving time will begin on Sunday, March 8, at 2 a.m. local time this year. Since 2007, the change has taken place on the second Sunday of March, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, which serves as the official time source for the U.S. Department of Defense. 

As clocks move forward, most parts of the United States will lose one hour, with the time jumping from 2 am to 3 am. This annual shift happens before the official start of spring, which begins with the vernal equinox on March 20.

When Does Daylight Saving Time End? 

Daylight saving time will “fall back” in Canada and the US to standard time at 2 am local time on the first Sunday of November, which this year falls on November 1. By then, the country will already be almost six weeks into the fall season, following the autumnal equinox on September 22.

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, daylight saving time will remain in effect for 238 days.

Daylight Saving Time: Health Affects

Despite being practiced for many years, the twice-a-year clock change continues to spark debate, particularly among health experts. Medical researchers say the sudden loss of one hour of sleep can disturb the body’s circadian rhythm, the internal clock that controls sleep patterns, metabolism, and hormone cycles. 

Studies have also associated the springtime shift with several short-term health concerns, including: 

• A rise in heart attacks and strokes 
• Higher traffic accident rates
•  Sleep deprivation and fatigue