TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – As the first Sunday of November rolls around, Floridians will once again be “falling back” and gaining an extra hour of sleep.

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3rd. This means that people should set their clocks back an hour before bed.

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The time change will bring darker mornings and brighter evenings to the Sunshine State until daylight saving time returns in March.

While many have heard the myth that farmers pushed the switch to daylight saving time, it was actually introduced during World War I to save on energy costs, according to the Library of Congress.

Almost all states except Hawaii and Arizona observe Daylight Saving Time, but in recent years many have begun to question whether they actually need to change their clocks.

In 2018, Florida became the first state to pass a law to permanently observe daylight saving time. More than a dozen states followed suit with similar bills, but none of these laws have taken effect.

Federal law is needed to stop the clock going back and forth, but despite efforts from lawmakers like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Congress has yet to take action.

Even six years later, Rubio hasn’t given up on that goal. In a Monday statement ahead of the switch to standard time, the senator called on Congress to pass his Sunshine Protection Act.

Rubio reintroduced the bill in March 2023, which would make daylight saving time permanent across the country.

“It’s time to stop the clock and end the ridiculous and antiquated practice of turning our clocks back and forth,” Rubio said. “Let’s finally pass my Sunshine Protection Act and end the need to ‘back away’ and ‘spring forward’ once and for all.”

Proponents of permanently switching to daylight saving time point to potential health benefits such as a reduction in seasonal affective disorder, as well as some studies showing a possible reduction in incidents such as car accidents.

However, it would also mean a very different start to the day for many people in winter as the sky would continue to be shrouded in darkness as parents send their children to school.

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