Daylight Savings Reboot 2026

 

Americans will turn their clocks back on Sunday, Nov. 1, and this year the ritual comes with real momentum behind ending it. In July, the House passed the Sunshine Protection Act by a vote of 308 to 117, a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, and the measure now sits with the Senate . Unless that changes before November, the clocks still fall back.

A year after our first look at how Americans feel about daylight saving time , Payless Power surveyed 1,015 U.S. adults to see whether the mood has shifted. We asked whether people want Congress to end the switch, which permanent option they would pick, how the fall change affects them, and what happens to household energy use once the sun sets earlier.

Key Takeaways

• 67% of Americans say Congress should end twice-yearly clock changes.
• 40% of Americans prefer permanent daylight saving time as the country’s time system going forward.
• Among Americans who prefer permanent daylight saving time, 32% name traveling to work or school in the dark as a personal drawback of its later winter sunrises.
• 54% of Americans report a negative effect on at least one of sleep, mood, or daily productivity after the fall clock change.
• 43% of Americans say they would spend more time outdoors if evenings stayed brighter longer.
• 49% of Americans say their household turns on lights earlier in the day once the sun starts setting earlier in the fall.
• About 1 in 6 Americans (17%) say their household’s electricity use went up since last fall’s clock change.

Americans Want the Clock Change to End

The appetite to stop switching the clocks is broad, and when asked what should replace the current system, Americans leaned toward keeping the evenings bright.

Here’s where Americans landed on the switch and what they would replace it with:

• More than 2 in 3 Americans (67%) said Congress should end the twice-yearly clock change, and majorities in every generation agreed: 76% of baby boomers, 70% of Gen X, 66% of millennials, and 61% of Gen Z.
• Given the choice, 2 in 5 Americans (40%) preferred permanent daylight saving time as the country’s time system going forward. It was the most popular option in every generation, chosen by 40% of baby boomers, 38% of Gen X, 42% of millennials, and 38% of Gen Z.
• More than 2 in 5 Americans (42%) expected permanent daylight saving time to benefit their daily lives, compared with 29% who expected to benefit from permanent standard time. Gen Z was the most optimistic (49%), followed by millennials (42%), Gen X (40%), and baby boomers (38%).
• Among Americans who preferred permanent daylight saving time, nearly 1 in 3 (32%) named traveling to work or school in the dark as a personal drawback of its later winter sunrises.
• Across all Americans, about 1 in 3 (34%) saw traveling to work or school in the dark as a drawback of permanent daylight saving time, while 27% saw no personal drawbacks at all.
• More than 2 in 5 Americans (43%) said they would spend more time outdoors, such as walking, visiting parks, or hiking, if evenings stayed brighter longer.

The Fall Change Still Takes a Toll

Gaining an hour sounds easy, but for most Americans, the fall change still shows up in how they sleep, feel, and work, and in how much power the house uses once the evenings turn dark.

The effects reached well beyond the day of the change:

• More than half of Americans (54%) reported a negative effect on at least one of sleep, mood, or daily productivity after the fall clock change.
• Mood took the biggest hit. More than 2 in 5 Americans (42%) reported a negative effect, including 39% of baby boomers, 43% of Gen X, 41% of millennials, and 43% of Gen Z.
• 1 in 4 Americans (25%) reported worse sleep after the fall change. Women were more likely than men to say so (29% vs. 21%), and baby boomers were the least affected generation (19%), compared with 26% among Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z.
• Nearly 3 in 10 Americans (28%) needed about a week or more to adjust after the clocks changed: 31% of baby boomers, 28% of Gen X, 30% of millennials, and 23% of Gen Z.
• About 1 in 3 women (35%) needed about a week or more to adjust, compared with 23% of men.
• Nearly half of Americans (46%) found the spring change harder than the fall change, while only 14% found the fall one harder. The spring change was the most common pick across generations, named by 47% of baby boomers, 45% of Gen X, 47% of millennials, and 47% of Gen Z.
• About 1 in 4 Americans (24%) found both clock changes equally hard, while 16% said neither affected them.

The earlier sunsets also showed up on the meter:

• Nearly half of Americans (49%) said their household turns on lights earlier in the day once the sun starts setting earlier in the fall.
• About 1 in 6 Americans (17%) said their household’s electricity use went up since last fall’s clock change.

How 2026 Compares With 2025

We asked several of the same questions in last year’s study , which gives a rare side-by-side look at whether Americans’ relationship with the clock change is shifting.

Here’s what moved and what held between the two studies:

• Sleep showed the biggest shift, with 1 in 4 Americans (25%) reporting a negative effect on sleep after the fall change in 2026, down from 37% in 2025.
• Fewer Americans said they dislike daylight saving time, at 43% in 2026, down from 52% in 2025.
• Mood held nearly steady. More than 2 in 5 Americans (42%) reported a negative effect in 2026, slightly higher than the 40% who said so in 2025.
• Productivity also held nearly steady, with 37% of Americans reporting a negative effect in 2026, slightly higher than 35% in 2025.

Methodology

For this study, we surveyed 1,015 Americans about their thoughts and sentiments toward daylight saving time. The average age of respondents was 43; 50% were women, 49% were men, and fewer than 1% were nonbinary or gender nonconforming. Generationally, 12% were baby boomers, 27% were Gen X, 46% were millennials, and 16% were Gen Z. Percentages in this study were rounded, so they may not add up to exactly 100%.

About Payless Power

Payless Power is a Texas energy provider that believes in making electricity accessible to all, regardless of credit history. We offer flexible, prepaid, and traditional energy plans with competitive pricing and no credit checks, empowering Texans to take control of their energy costs.

Fair Use Statement

You are welcome to share these findings on daylight saving time for noncommercial purposes. Please include a link back to this page and credit Payless Power as the original source.