Did We Gain or Lose an Hour? We Gained One. How to Adjust to Standard Time This Week

Short answer: we gained an hour. Daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks in most of the country fell back to 1 a.m., CBS News reported. Most of the U.S. is now on standard time, including Eastern Standard Time on the East Coast.

Monday is the first workday on the new schedule, so here’s what changed and how sleep experts say to adjust.

Did we gain or lose an hour of sleep?

Gained. The fall change returns the hour lost when clocks sprang forward in March. The trade-off is darkness arriving about an hour earlier in the evening.

Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t change their clocks, so nothing changed there, according to CBS News.

Did my clocks change on their own?

Phones, computers and other connected devices set to update automatically should already show the right time. Microwaves, ovens, car dashboards and many wall clocks need to be changed by hand. If your morning alarm is on an older standalone clock, check it before tonight.

How to adjust to the fall time change

Fall is usually the easier switch. “Most people enjoy the extra hour of sleep they get when daylight saving time ends,” Dr. Raghu Upender, medical director of the Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center, told Vanderbilt Health News. He warned that earlier darkness can mean more fatigue on the commute home and could raise the risk of accidents.

Tips from Vanderbilt Health and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s Sleep Education site:

• Get morning light. Upender called morning light exposure the best way to reset your internal clock. Open the curtains, turn on bright lights or take a walk outside.
• Keep a steady schedule. Wake up at the same time every day, weekends included.
• Aim for at least seven hours of sleep a night, the AASM advises.
• Watch late caffeine, and avoid big meals and alcohol right before bed.
• Exercise earlier in the day, not right before bedtime.
• Give kids extra time. Children and teens may take longer to adjust, so keep their bedtime routines steady.

Most people adjust within a few days, both sources said. If you regularly have trouble sleeping or feel tired during the day, the AASM suggests talking to a doctor.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice.

When is the next time change?

Clocks spring forward at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, March 14, 2027, when we’ll lose an hour, according to CBS News.

Whether that keeps happening is still up to Congress. The AASM notes two competing bills: the Sunshine Protection Act would make daylight saving time permanent, and the Sunshine for Our Kids Act would make standard time permanent. Sleep experts favor permanent standard time because it lines up more closely with the body’s natural rhythm.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: Daylight Saving Time Has Ended: Clocks Fell Back an Hour Overnight. Here's What to Know (Nov 1)