How to Prepare in Advance to Make the End of Daylight Saving Time Less Painful
Unfortunately, we failed to repeal Daylight Saving Time during that brief, hopeful moment a few years ago, so in just a few weeks, we’ll all be stuck in our usual ritual: waking up early, forgetting the time change happened overnight, and then getting confused when the time on your phone doesn’t match the time on your microwave. Here’s how to be a little better prepared.
Find out exactly when daylight saving time ends.
Daylight Saving Time is what we call time in the summer, and yes, it’s summer “transition” time, singular. It even has its own time zone abbreviation : EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) instead of EST (Eastern Standard Time) on the East Coast, with corresponding CDT, MDT, and PDT throughout the country. So, in November, we switch from daylight saving time to standard time.
Specifically, the switch to daylight saving time will occur at 2:00 AM on Sunday, November 1, 2026. That’s when the clocks are “set back.” (In the spring, they’re “set forward”—get it?) If you manually set your clocks, 2:00 AM becomes 1:00 AM. This means that if you’re used to waking up at 7:00 AM, you’ll open your eyes after your usual bedtime to find it’s 6:00 AM.
Decide how to spend your “extra” hour.
The switch to daylight saving time is a great time for me, a night owl. When I was younger, I loved the opportunity to sleep an extra hour without feeling overly tired in the morning. Now, I often use daylight saving time as an aid to my morning routine . For example, I wake up at 6:30 AM instead of 7:30 AM and can do a morning workout or write in my journal.
If you’re more of an early riser, this might be less enjoyable. You’ll fall asleep watching TV in the evening—at least earlier than usual. Perhaps you should stay up a little later to start changing your routine within an hour.
Start adjusting your pet and child schedule now.
For those in your home who are completely unfamiliar with the concept of standard time, their daily routine is about to change slightly. And most importantly: they’ll be hungry (and everything else) an hour earlier than usual.
If you plan ahead, you can start moving your breakfast time later even before Daylight Saving Time. Instead of feeding your dog at 7:00 AM, start feeding him at 7:15 AM right now , and you’ll be less likely to get a cold nose at 6:00 AM. (Since it’s been about two weeks since I wrote this, you could move it to 7:30 AM a few days later, and then to 7:45 AM. You get the idea.)
The same applies to children: expect them to wake up an hour earlier than the clock says and be tired (and overtired) an hour earlier than usual. Gradually changing your daily routine will also help, and you can explain the situation in advance to children old enough to understand. And if you expect your own stomach to rumble on cue? Consider gradually changing your mealtimes as well, or at least keeping a snack on hand in case you need one.
A colder and darker evening is expected.
When daylight saving time ends, we stop “saving” that extra hour of sunlight in the evening. Your evening workout or commute will take place in a darker, colder part of the year than before. On the other hand, the light will appear earlier in the morning, which can be a good excuse for a morning walk you might not have otherwise taken. (Morning light and morning exercise help reset your body clock and can improve your mood for the day ahead.)
If you’re planning to exercise outdoors in the evening, check out our guide to layering for running based on the temperature . You might also want to bring a flashlight or headlamp. Here’s the one I use.
Review your bedtime ritual.
Waking up may be easier after Daylight Saving Time, but falling asleep may become more difficult. Now is the time to rethink your bedtime routine or even create one if you don’t already have one.
I have a guide to proper sleep hygiene , but one of the most important tips is to set aside time for yourself to unwind in the evening, at least 30 minutes, when the lights are dimmed and you’re not looking at a screen. This is a good time to take a bath, read a book, or do something else you enjoy and that relaxes you. You’ll soon get used to your new schedule—at least until the next daylight saving time change in the spring.