Maia Pandey
On March 8, clocks will once again "spring forward," and the sun will set at 6:49 p.m. in Milwaukee, according to timeanddate.com.
The change often reignites debates about whether daylight saving time should exist at all. Though the time adjustment allows for more daylight during spring and summer evenings, many have argued it disturbs the body's circadian rhythms and has other health drawbacks.
Here's what to know as daylight saving time approaches.
When does daylight saving time start?
Daylight saving time will resume on Sunday, March 8. Clocks will jump forward one hour between 2 and 3 a.m., meaning there will be more light in the evening and less light in the morning.
When does daylight saving time end?
Daylight saving time will end for the season on Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks are turned back an hour at 2 a.m.
What is daylight saving time?
Between March and November, Wisconsin residents set their clocks forward by an hour to gain more daylight in the evenings. During the other four months of the year, the clocks fall back to allow for more daylight in the mornings.
Daylight saving time was enacted during World War I in an attempt to save on fuel costs by adding an extra hour of sunlight to the day. While it's a common misconception, its creation had nothing to do with allowing farmers to work longer hours, and the agriculture industry actually "fervently opposed" the measure, according to the Library of Congress.
Why do some people want to end daylight saving time?
In the decades since daylight saving time was enacted, politicians, sleep experts and farmers have all pushed to change the practice, either by eliminating daylight saving time or making it permanent year-round.
In 2020, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine said the United States should "eliminate seasonal time changes in favor of a national, fixed, year-round time." Daylight saving time disrupts the natural circadian rhythms of the human body, and the abrupt time change has been linked to increase risk of mood disorders and heart diseases, according to the organization.
From a public safety standpoint, the academy said daylight saving time also increases risk of vehicle crashes since drivers are especially sleep deprived after losing an hour of rest when the clock "springs forward."
Have there been efforts to end daylight saving time in Wisconsin?
Though some states have done away with the practice, Wisconsin continues to observe daylight saving time.
As of October 2025, 19 states have enacted legislation to observe daylight saving time year-round, if Congress were to allow such a change, and two states and several territories observe permanent standard time year-round, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
In Wisconsin, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation last spring to end daylight saving time and adopt permanent standard time, but no further action has been taken on the bill.
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