Spring Forward: Daylight Saving Time Returns Next Month

Get ready to lose an hour of sleep, but gain months of longer evenings. Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2:00 a.m., the earliest possible date it can occur under U.S. law.

When clocks spring forward one hour, sunrise and sunset will be about one hour later than the day before, giving us more light in the evening and less in the morning. That means brighter evenings for after-work activities, though morning commutes will remain dark a bit longer.

The timing is a calendar quirk. Because March 1 falls on a Sunday in 2026, the second Sunday lands as early as possible. Most Americans will participate in the time change, though Hawaii, most of Arizona, and U.S. territories like Puerto Rico stay on standard time year-round.

Before you grumble about the lost sleep, consider this: Daylight Saving Time lasts 65% of the year, 238 days compared to just 127 days of standard time. We'll enjoy those longer evenings until November 1, which is also the earliest possible date DST can end.

Health experts recommend adjusting gradually. Go to bed 10-15 minutes earlier each night leading up to March 8, get morning sunlight to reset your body clock, and stick to consistent sleep schedules. Does ANYBODY really do this?

So set those clocks forward before bed on Saturday, March 7. You'll wake up to an hour less sleep but months of evenings where the sun doesn't set before dinner. For Western Massachusetts residents enduring brutal winter cold, that extra evening daylight can't come soon enough.