Daylight Saving Time 2016: When Do We Turn The Clocks Back? Here’s An Explanation Of Why It’s So Late This Year

Daylight Saving Time 2016 is just around the corner, but folks itching to move the clocks back and get an extra hour of sleep will still have to wait a bit longer.

The annual change of the clocks (which is commonly referred to as Daylight Savings Time, even though the official name is actually Saving with no “s” at the end) starts in the second Sunday in March and runs through the first Sunday in November for the United States.

It used to be much earlier. It was one decade ago that President George Bush signed into law a sweeping energy bill that also pushed the end of Daylight Saving Time out of October and into November.

Those circumstances line up to create one of the latest possible changes this year. Daylight Saving Time 2016 will end on November 6 at 2 a.m., meaning folks have a bit more of a wait before they change back the clocks this year.

Those across the pond won’t have to wait so long. The U.K. still adheres to the original schedule, meaning they turn back the clocks this Sunday at 2 a.m.

For those wondering exactly where Daylight Saving Time came from and why we do it, E! News explained that it dates all the way back to an idea from one of America’s Founding Fathers. It was Ben Franklin’s creation, one he proposed in a 1784 essay arguing that people wouldn’t waste candles as much if the clocks were shifted an hour.

The idea picked up steam more than 100 years later, when the United States was facing a shortage of resources during the first World War. As E! News noted, Franklin’s argument in favor of Daylight Saving Time was in vogue again and introduced in nations around the globe.

“It’s basically the same thing people argued during World War I, when Daylight Saving Time was first introduced, to help the U.S. and other nations use less fuel,” the report noted.

Though it has become an bi-annual ritual, there’s plenty of debate about whether Daylight Saving Time is actually achieving its stated purpose. As NJ.com noted, there is actually evidence to suggest that we use more energy due to the clock change.

“The practice annually sparks a debate over whether or not changing the clocks to conserve energy is antiquated. Citing a study out of Indiana, many have said it actually increases electricity bills due to the demand for air conditioning, which led to a 1 percent increase in overall electricity consumption after 2006 when the state adopted Daylight Saving Time.”

Daylight Saving Time was made official through the Uniform Act of 1966, which created the November-through-March clock changes, but also allowed states to opt out. Hawaii, Indiana, and Arizona took that route, the Washington Post noted, and some others could be following suit. Indiana changed its laws to begin observing Daylight Saving Time in 2005. There have been resolutions proposed in a number of states to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, including Florida and Alaska.

There are actually a number of arguments as to why we should eliminate Daylight Saving Time, with opponents noting that it can disrupt sleep, which leads to a rise in workplace accidents. And as parents with young children or farmers with livestock know, babies and animals will wake up with the sunlight, regardless of what a clock says.

Falling back: How Canada's passion for sleep begs for Daylight Saving Time to be put to bed https://t.co/Bi6WojCAUs @FordCanada #MoreForAll pic.twitter.com/FePwCidrDt

— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) October 26, 2016

A number of the world’s largest nations have also opted out of the clock changes, including India, Russia, and China. A total of 78 countries in the world still observe Daylight Saving Time.

Those who live in nations that still adhere to the time shifts have a little more time left until they turn back the clocks. Daylight Saving Time 2016 ends on Sunday (October 30) in the U.K. and next week (November 6) in the United States.

[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]