Prepare Now for Change to Daylight Saving Time in Minnesota

If the time change always hits you like another helping of day-old tater tot hotdish, you’re not alone. And since we're just days away from losing an hour of sleep, a little prep now can make next weekend’s daylight saving switch way less brutal here in Minnesota.

The annual switchover to Daylight Saving Time is nearly here again in Minnesota and across most of the U.S. However, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there *are* still a few places where they don't change their clocks twice a year:

• Hawaii
• American Samoa
• Guam
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Puerto Rico
• The U.S. Virgin Islands
• Most of Arizona

When Does Daylight Saving Time Start in Minnesota for 2026?

But the rest of us will lose another hour of sleep as we spring ahead and switchover to Daylight Saving Time. But there are a few things you can do to make that switchover less noticeable this year.

You might have heard about a proposal that would have made Daylight Saving Time, where we move our clocks ahead one hour in the spring and then back again in the fall, permanent. USA Today says the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill (the Sunshine Protection Act) that would have done just that in 2022.

But that act didn't pass the U.S. House of Representatives and wasn't signed into law.  Meanwhile, President-elect Trump has favored eliminating Daylight Saving Time and said it's something he'd work on during his second term, though we haven't seen anything about it yet.

The History of the Standard Time Act and Springing Ahead

Which means we're still set to 'spring ahead' next weekend (and lose an hour of sleep) and 'fall back' again this November (when we get that hour back), just as we have every year since 1918, when Congress first adopted the Standard Time Act, which created Daylight Saving Time. Time And Date has this year's details:

Daylight Saving Time officially begins in Minnesota at 2:00:00 am on Sunday, March 8, 2026, when clocks move ahead one hour. Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour later on Mar 8, 2026 than the day before. There will be more light in the evening and less light in the morning.

We'll remain on Daylight Saving Time until Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2:00:00 am, when clocks are turned backward one hour, and we revert to Daylight Standard Time, which will complete the 108th year we've made such a change.

Expert Tips to Adjust Your Sleep Schedule for the Time Change

But springing ahead this year doesn't have to be disruptive, however.  The Sun Herald has a few things you can do now so you barely miss a beat on the 8th. And the first is to get more sleep this week.

Alter your bedtime around three days before the time change on Saturday, and head to bed around 10 to 15 minutes earlier than usual Wednesday night. Go to bed 20 to 30 minutes earlier Thursday night, and around 30 to 45 minutes earlier Friday night.

The Sun Herald also recommends these other steps to make springing ahead less painful:

• Take afternoon naps for about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Get more light, especially during the first week.
• Delay your day for a few days after the time change to give your internal clock a chance to adjust.
• Cut back on alcohol and caffeine days before and after the time change.

Hopefully, these changes will help make our time change less intrusive this year! And, speaking of changes, keep scrolling to see how some familiar corporate logos have changed over the years, as well-- and see how many you can identify.