Here’s Exactly When To Set Your Clocks Back For Daylight Saving

Throughout the start of fall, I have had this low-key anxiety about when we're supposed turn the clocks back for Daylight Saving Time. I don't know what it is — I guess I'm terrified that I'm going to be the last person to know, and will show up late or early for something important because of it. Weirdly, though, I'm also low-key stoked about setting the clocks back for Daylight Saving Time, because I've been literally waiting to get that golden hour back since March when Daylight Saving Time took it away!

Alas, the stress of an upcoming change in scheduling is real. Back in when I was in school, I never really had to worry about it, because warnings were plastered everywhere — teachers certainly didn't want their students to miss class because of it. It was nearly impossible to be unaware of when Daylight Saving Time was ending. But now, in adult land, the important date sneaks up on everyone without announcement, and if you aren't ready and prepared for it, you've got some serious confusion in store for you.

OK, that sounds more ominous than it is. Daylight Saving Time isn't what it used to be in terms of a technical inconvenience. Now, all TV and connected clocks change automatically, so it doesn't matter if you know the event is coming or not — your devices have your back, and even your alarm won't be confused. The only thing that's bound to confuse you is that pesky stove timer and any wall clocks or wristwatches you have, but let's be honest, you probably don't check the time on those devices any way. Yes, the end of Daylight Saving Time is a confusion of the analog past. But if you happen to be awake during the change, as many of you probably are marathoning Stranger Things or finishing a work assignment, you're definitely bound for some cosmic confusion if you don't anticipate it. One minute it's 1:59 a.m., and the next it's 1:00 a.m., and (yes that means one more episode of Stranger Things!) you have to question your sanity for a while before realizing what happened.

While it might seem like every milestone that comes after the last day of summer is just another negative reminder that the cold, dark winter is coming, the end of Daylight Saving Time is actually something to look forward to. As you've probably noticed, your morning commute was getting darker and darker — literally. And waking up with a dark gray sky is not a great invitation into the day. A dark morning sky can literally make it impossible for you to lay off the snooze button and join the world. But once Daylight Saving Time ends, we essentially get another hour of sleep in the morning, so that when we wake up, the sky is an hour's worth brighter than it was before. That's a pretty great thing. And plus, that means we'll actually get another full hour of sleep on the night of Sun., Nov. 5 — and I think we can all agree that another hour of sleep before a Monday is literally a gift.

So mark your calendars for Sun., Nov. 5, not because you need to do anything to prepare, but rather because you need to get excited for an extra hour to sleep or play, and one of the most welcome Monday mornings of the year. Yes, the end of Daylight Saving Time and the start of standard time is perhaps one of the only non-depressing rites of fall passage, aside from Pumpkin Spice everything and the subtle joy of sweater season. Though honestly, I've already OD-ed on Pumpkin Spice and shrunk all of my sweaters by not following proper washing instructions, so this extra hour coming my way Sunday night is currently the highlight of my fall experience right now. Fall back y'all.