Daylight Saving Time set to end Halloween night: Turn back the clocks

We'll gain some extra time this weekend, with  daylight saving time set to end Halloween night into Sunday, when clocks fall back one hour.

And believe it or not, you can probably thank Benjamin Franklin for that. The 18th century statesman, inventor, drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence offered the idea of moving clocks ahead in spring and back in fall in a "tongue-in-cheek" proposal made in 1784.

Almost 250 years later, debate rages about the bi-annual time changes. They're a political — and philosophical and scientific — hot potato, with legislators on both sides of the aisle arguing the merits of the so-called Sunshine Protection Act, which would enact year-round daylight saving time.

For now, you can bank on a time change this weekend, when clocks will fall back one hour as of 2 a.m. Sunday.

That change means that while sunset takes place at 5:50 p.m. Saturday, it'll take place at 4:48 p.m. Sunday. And while sunrise is at 7:21 a.m. Saturday, the sun will come up Sunday at 6:23 a.m.

Studies available through the National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine suggest the transitions that take place during the start and end of  daylight saving time cycles "negatively affect sleep patterns," with adverse effects on sleep duration and quality.

The time changes affect the body's circadian rhythm, the natural 24-hour internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles as well as things such as hormone release, body temperature and digestion.

Some scientists have even dubbed the first workday after the time changes "Sleepy Monday."

"Disruptions in circadian rhythms, whether from lifestyle factors or environmental cues such as artificial light, can lead to significant health issues, including sleep disorders, metabolic syndrome and mood disturbances," according to the National Institutes of Health. "The precise timing of the circadian clock is crucial for determining the quality and restorative value of sleep, influencing everything from cellular repair to neuroplasticity"  — the functioning structure of the brain itself.

Only about one-third of the world adheres to  daylight saving time changes, with that adherence almost exclusive to North America and Europe. Most of Asia, Africa and South America ignore the bi-annual clock resets.

And that adherence isn't even universal in the United States. Arizona, Hawaii and the American territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa all stick with standard time, though the Navajo Nation in Arizona does make the time changes.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.