Daylight Saving 2026: When are we springing forward?

(FOX 2) - It's that time of year again.

The time when we spring forward, turn our clocks one hour later, and initiate Daylight Saving Time. This year, we'll make the adjustment on Sunday, March 8.

When is Daylight Saving Time?

That means when the hour strikes 2 a.m., clocks will jump forward to 3 a.m. For those wondering what that does to your sleep schedule, it means getting a little less sleep in the morning in exchange for more sunlight in the evenings.

The day will feel a little shorter. Some may dislike having a more brief weekend, but for parents of young kids, it will feel like they're sleeping in a little later. 

How to prepare for Daylight Saving Time

Start making changes the week before the beginning of DST:

• Start the week before by getting as much light as possible each day. This can help adjust your body's rhythm for the change to come.
• Start waking up a little earlier in the mornings ahead. While you can never make up lost sleep, going into the time change well-rested can help.
• Don’t compensate with extra caffeine. It may feel like an extra coffee or two can help you through the midday slump, but too much caffeine is not heart healthy.
• Don’t take a nap. Most people don’t get enough sleep at any time; adding a cat nap to your afternoon can make it even harder to sleep well that night.

What is daylight saving time?

Daylight saving time is defined as a period between spring and fall when clocks in most parts of the country are set one hour ahead of standard time. According to federal law, it always starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

Dig deeper:

The practice of falling back in the U.S. started in 1918 during World War I as a way to conserve fuel. By moving the clocks ahead an hour, backers believed the country could divert a bit of coal-fired electricity to the military instead of using it for an hour of home power. It was reenacted in World War II.

It was repealed again when the war ended, but some states — and even some cities — continued to observe daylight saving time while others kept standard time year-round. That meant driving relatively short distances could result in a time change.

RELATED: Would permanent daylight saving time be good for Detroit and Michigan?

By 1966, airlines and other businesses tired of such quirks and pushed Congress to pass the Uniform Time Act. It codified daylight saving time, although it has been periodically modified.

Hawaii and Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) are the only two states in the nation that don’t follow time change. People in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas also don’t change their clocks.

On the West Coast, if the U.S. were to make the switch permanently to DST, for Seattle it would mean the sun would rise at 8:57 a.m. on Jan. 1 and set at 5:28 p.m. Farther south in Los Angeles, there would be a 7:58 a.m. sunrise and a 5:54 p.m. sunset.

Learn more about the history of daylight saving time and why Hawaii and Arizona do not participate - here.

What is the Sunshine Protection Act?

In March of 2022, the Senate unanimously approved a measure that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States in November 2023.

The bipartisan bill, named the Sunshine Protection Act, would ensure Americans would no longer have to change their clocks twice a year. But the bill still needs approval from the House, and the signature of President Joe Biden, to become law.

Members of Congress have long been interested in the potential benefits and costs of daylight saving time, but whether the House will take up the Sunshine Protection Act this year is still up in the air.

Which states want to make daylight saving time permanent?

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 20 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to make daylight saving time permanent pending congressional approval. In some states, their law is dependent on surrounding states enacting the same law.

The 20 states that have voted in favor of year-round daylight saving time are:

• Alabama
• California
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Ohio
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming

FOX’s Chris Williams and The Associated Press contributed to this report.