Daylight saving time, the yearly time change colloquially known as daylight savings, is set to start for 2026, meaning most Americans will lose an hour of sleep when they "spring forward" this weekend. For nearly 20 years, the annual ritual of moving clocks an hour ahead has taken place on the second Sunday of March. What is daylight saving time, exactly? By shifting clocks forward an hour, daylight saving time effectively moves an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. For example,