If you, like me, wonder why you got an extra hour of sleep last night, and why you get to lose that hour in April, here's the full explanation, courtesy of National Geographic.
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Brian Handwerk
Published November 5, 2010
With daylight saving time (also called daylight savings) coming to a close, clock confusion is once again ticking away: When exactly does daylight saving time end? Why do we fall back? Does it really save energy? Is it bad for your health? Get expert answers below.
When Does Daylight Savings End in 2010?
For most Americans, daylight saving time ends in 2010 at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 7, when most states fall back to standard time. Time will spring forward again on March 13, 2011, when daylight saving time resumes.
The federal government doesn't require U.S. states or territories to observe daylight saving time, which is why residents of Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Marianas Islands won't need to turn back their clocks this weekend.
Where it is observed, daylight savings has been known to cause some problems.
National surveys by Rasmussen Reports, for example, show that 83 percent of respondents knew when to move their clocks ahead in spring 2010. Twenty-seven percent, though, admitted they'd been an hour early or late at least once in their lives because they hadn't changed their clocks correctly.
The clock-setting confusion is enough to make you wonder—why do we do use daylight saving time in the first place?
(Related: "Leap Year: How the World Makes Up for Lost Time.")
How and When Did Daylight Saving Time Start?
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