Daylight saving time will soon come to an end, giving Tennesseans and millions of people across the country the opportunity to gain an extra hour of sleep as clocks fall back.
The practice of changing clocks twice a year has remained a topic of debate in Congress. While many have criticized the twice-yearly time changes, including President Donald Trump, others support the practice.
Opponents argue that year-round daylight saving time could leave students waiting for school buses and commuters traveling to work in darkness during winter mornings, particularly in northern states.
Nonetheless, efforts to make daylight saving time permanent remain stalled. Although lawmakers considered theSunshine Protection Act earlier this year, the legislation
has yet to become law, leaving the twice-yearly clock changes in place for now.
Here's what else to know, including when we fall back.
Do we turn the clocks back this weekend?
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time on Nov. 1, 2026. At that time, clocks will be turned back one hour to 1 a.m., giving most Americans an extra hour of sleep.
The return to standard time also means earlier sunsets throughout November, December and much of January as daylight hours continue shrinking heading into winter.
Daylight saving time began March 8, 2026. The next time clocks spring forward will be March 14, 2027.
Does Tennessee observe daylight saving time?
Yes. Tennessee, like the rest of the country, is set to continue the practice of falling back when daylight saving time ends on Nov. 1.
In 2019, Gov. Bill Lee signed a trigger law that would enact permanent daylight saving time in Tennessee pending federal approval from Congress. The change would also require certification by the Tennessee General Assembly before taking effect.
Tennessee is already on daylight saving time from the beginning of March to the beginning of November. Permanent daylight saving time would only change the time for about four months out of the year.
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What states do not observe daylight saving time?
Several states and U.S. territories remain on standard time year-round:
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Hawaii
- Most of Arizona (except the Navajo Nation)
- American Samoa
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
What does it mean to fall back, spring forward? Will we lose or gain an hour?
When daylight saving time ends in the fall, clocks are turned back one hour, a change often remembered with the phrase "fall back." The shift gives most Americans an extra hour of sleep.
The companion phrase, "spring forward," refers to the March time change, when clocks move ahead one hour and people lose an hour of sleep.
Why do we change the clocks every year?
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the practice shifts the clock to better align daily schedules with seasonal sunlight, providing more evening daylight during the warmer months.
Daylight saving time was first adopted in the United States in 1918 during World War I as a way to help reduce the use of electricity.
A national schedule for daylight saving time was established under the Uniform Time Act of 1966 and later updated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Since 2007, daylight saving time has begun on the second Sunday in March and ended on the first Sunday in November.
What happened to the Sunshine Protection Act?
Despite support from Trump, the Sunshine Protection Act has stalled in Congress and faced opposition from GOP leaders.
Earlier this year, the House of Representatives voted to allow states to enact year-round daylight saving time, but the bill stalled. The Senate returned to Washington on Sept. 14 after a five-week recess, but a vote on the Sunshine Protection Act was not immediately listed on the chamber's agenda, USA TODAY previously reported.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) emerged as one of the leaders of the opposition to the legislation.
In an Oct. 5 interview with Politico, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said there is "no clear path forward" for the legislation. Thune's comments came just days afterTrump appeared to share Cotton's phone number publiclywhile criticizing the Arkansas senator's opposition to the bill.
"The president feels strongly on it like he does a lot of issues," Thune told Politico. "It’s something we’re having conversations about, but there’s no clear path forward or consensus on it yet."
During an October 2025 Senate floor speech, Cotton pointed to the period when Congress briefly made daylight saving time permanent in 1974 and said that "millions of Americans traveled to work and school in darkness."
He said that returning to permanent daylight saving time would "again make winter a dark and dismal time for millions of Americans" and "push winter sunrises to an absurdly late hour, depriving Americans of morning sunshine that’s essential for our safety and well-being."
While Cotton drew the president's ire, Thune told Politico that opposition among Senate Republicans extended beyond Cotton.
Sen. Roger Wicker raised concerns similar to Cotton's in remarks to reporters on Capitol Hill on Oct. 5, according to Politico. He said he was mindful of "safety concerns in the more northern and rural states where children get on the school bus in very early hours."
Contributing: USA TODAY
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What date do clocks change back? When Tennessee observes daylight saving time
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