Why We Still Change the Clocks, Even Though Many Want to Stop

On November 1, most places in the U.S. will end daylight saving time for 2026 and go back to standard time, which means turning the clocks back one hour. Lifehacker asks what happened to the plans to stop changing the clocks. The change continues even though a law to end it was supposed to pass a few years ago, and doctors warn that switching back and forth is bad for health.

For example, a study from the Stanford School of Medicine found that changing the time every year probably adds to higher rates of stroke and obesity. Staying on daylight saving time all year would be better than changing, and staying on standard time all year would be better still. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine said that the evidence supports ending seasonal time changes in favor of permanent standard time, which fits best with the body's natural clock.

The most recent big attempt was a bill called the Sunshine Protection Act. It would have made daylight saving time permanent, starting on November 5, 2023. Winter mornings would have stayed dark an hour longer, but winter evenings would have had an extra hour of light. The bill passed the Senate in March 2022, but the House of Representatives never took it up. In July 2026, a similar law passed the House. President Trump wrote this month that Republicans in the Senate should get moving on what he calls the "No More Changing of Clocks Act." The Senate Majority Leader said it does not have enough support to pass, because it would mean dark mornings for commuters and for children waiting for school buses.

The country uses two times during the year. Standard time is used in winter, and daylight saving time is used in summer. They even have their own time zone names. For instance, EST means eastern standard time, which is different from eastern daylight time.

States have their own ideas, too. Right now, states are not allowed to choose permanent daylight saving time, but they may stay on standard time all year. Two do: Hawaii and Arizona, except for the parts of Arizona in the Navajo Nation. Nineteen states have passed laws or resolutions that would let them switch to permanent daylight saving time if the federal government ever allows it.