Why does daylight saving time change at 2 am as opposed to starting at midnight?

Answer 1

On Saturday night a lot of people are still active at midnight. Some people are still active all night long, but 2am seems like a comparatively quiet time to avoid disrupting schedules like bus and subway schedules.

Answer 2

2am is when most people are not working or are asleep, so the change doesn't affect what they are doing; late-night jobs finish at midnight or 1am, and early-morning shifts begin after 2am. There are many slight benefits to a 2am changeover, such as closing times for drinking establishments, and 2am is just the best time to do it for all involved.

Answer 3

Daylight savings time begins and ends at two in the morning because that is the time that was deemed the most convenient for this switch. It allows people for the most part to be able to switch their clocks ahead or back before going to bed and doesn't upset peoples days.

Answer 4

That was believed to be the middle of the period when most people were asleep.

Not all countries begin and end Daylight Saving Time (DST), a.k.a. Summer Time, at 2 AM. Here's a list of all countries and overseas territories and when they begin/end DST:

• Afghanistan : no DST
• Ã…land Islands : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Albania : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Algeria : no DST
• American Samoa : no DST
• Andorra : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Angola : no DST
• Anguilla : no DST
• Antarctica : no DST in most places; begins @ midnight CLT, 1 AM UTC & 2 AM CET & NZST; ends @ midnight CLST, 2 AM CET & 3 AM CEST & NZDT
• Antigua and Barbuda : no DST
• Argentina : no DST
• Armenia : no DST
• Aruba : no DST
• Australia : begins @ 2 AM (LHST, AEST & ACST); ends @ 2 AM (LHDT) & 3 AM (AEDT & ACDT)
• Austria : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Azerbaijan : begins @ 4 AM (AZT); ends @ 5 AM (AZST)
• Bahamas : begins @ 2 AM (EST); ends @ 2 AM (EDT)
• Bahrain : no DST
• Bangladesh : no DST
• Barbados : no DST
• Belarus : no DST
• Belgium : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Belize : no DST
• Benin : no DST
• Bermuda : begins @ 2 AM (AST); ends @ 2 AM (ADT)
• Bhutan : no DST
• Bolivia, Plurinational State of : no DST
• Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba : no DST
• Bosnia and Herzegovina : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Botswana : no DST
• Bouvet Island : no DST
• Brazil : begins @ midnight (BRT & ANT); ends @ midnight (BRST & ANST)
• British Indian Ocean Territory : no DST
• Brunei Darussalam : no DST
• Bulgaria : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Burkina Faso : no DST
• Burundi : no DST
• Cambodia : no DST
• Cameroon : no DST
• Canada : begins @ 2 AM (NST, AST, EST, CST, MST & PST); ends @ 2 AM (NDT, ADT, EDT, CDT, MDT & PDT)
• Cabo Verde : no DST
• Cayman Islands : no DST
• Central African Republic : no DST
• Chad : no DST
• Chile : begins @ 10 PM (EAST) & midnight (CLT); ends @ 10 PM (EASST) & midnight (CLST)
• China : no DST
• Christmas Island : no DST
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands : no DST
• Colombia : no DST
• Comoros : no DST
• Congo : no DST
• Congo, the Democratic Republic of the : no DST
• Cook Islands : no DST
• Costa Rica : no DST
• Côte d'Ivoire : no DST
• Croatia : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Cuba : begins @ midnight (CUST); ends @ 1 AM (CUDT)
• Curaçao : no DST
• Cyprus : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Czech Republic : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Denmark : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Djibouti : no DST
• Dominica : no DST
• Dominican Republic : no DST
• Ecuador : no DST
• Egypt : begins @ midnight (EET); ends @ midnight (EEST)
• El Salvador : no DST
• Equatorial Guinea : no DST
• Eritrea : no DST
• Estonia : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Ethiopia : no DST
• Falkland Islands (Malvinas) : no DST
• Faroe Islands : begins @ 1 AM (WET); ends @ 2 AM (WEST)
• Fiji : begins @ 2 AM (FJT); ends @ 3 AM (FJST)
• Finland : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• France : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• French Guiana : no DST
• French Polynesia : no DST
• French Southern Territories : no DST
• Gabon : no DST
• Gambia : no DST
• Georgia : no DST
• Germany : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Ghana : no DST
• Gibraltar : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Greece : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Greenland : begins @ 10 PM (WGT), midnight (EGT) & 2 AM (AST); ends @ 11 PM (WGST), 1 AM (EGST) & 2 AM (ADT)
• Grenada : no DST
• Guadeloupe : no DST
• Guam : no DST
• Guatemala : no DST
• Guernsey : begins @ 1 AM (GMT); ends @ 2 AM (BST)
• Guinea : no DST
• Guinea-Bissau : no DST
• Guyana : no DST
• Haiti : begins @ 2 AM (EST); ends @ 2 AM (EDT)
• Heard Island and McDonald Islands : no DST
• Holy See (Vatican City State) : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Honduras : no DST
• Hong Kong : no DST
• Hungary : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Iceland : no DST
• India : no DST
• Indonesia : no DST
• Iran, Islamic Republic of : begins @ midnight (IRST); ends @ midnight (IRDT)
• Iraq : no DST
• Ireland : begins @ 1 AM (GMT); ends @ 2 AM (IEST)
• Isle of Man : begins @ 1 AM (GMT); ends @ 2 AM (BST)
• Israel : begins @ 2 AM (ILST); ends @ 2 AM (ILDT)
• Italy : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Jamaica : no DST
• Japan : no DST
• Jersey : begins @ 1 AM (GMT); ends @ 2 AM (BST)
• Jordan : begins @ midnight (EET); ends @ 1 AM (EEST)
• Kazakhstan : no DST
• Kenya : no DST
• Kiribati : no DST
• Korea, Democratic People's Republic of : no DST
• Korea, Republic of : no DST
• Kuwait : no DST
• Kyrgyzstan : no DST
• Lao People's Democratic Republic : no DST
• Latvia : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Lebanon : begins @ midnight (EET); ends @ midnight (EEST)
• Lesotho : no DST
• Liberia : no DST
• Libya : no DST
• Liechtenstein : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Lithuania : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Luxembourg : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Macao : no DST
• Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Madagascar : no DST
• Malawi : no DST
• Malaysia : no DST
• Maldives : no DST
• Mali : no DST
• Malta : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Marshall Islands : no DST
• Martinique : no DST
• Mauritania : no DST
• Mauritius : no DST
• Mayotte : no DST
• Mexico : begins @ 2 AM (CST, MST & PST); ends @ 2 AM (CDT, MDT & PDT)
• Micronesia, Federated States of : no DST
• Moldova, Republic of : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Monaco : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Mongolia : no DST
• Montenegro : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Montserrat : no DST
• Morocco : begins @ 2 AM (WET); ends @ 3 AM (WEST)
• Mozambique : no DST
• Myanmar : no DST
• Namibia : begins @ 2 AM (WAT); ends @ 2 AM (WAST)
• Nauru : no DST
• Nepal : no DST
• Netherlands : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• New Caledonia : no DST
• New Zealand : begins @ 2 AM (NZST) & 2:45 AM (CHAST); ends @ 3 AM (NZDT) & 3:45 AM (CHADT)
• Nicaragua : no DST
• Niger : no DST
• Nigeria : no DST
• Niue : no DST
• Norfolk Island : no DST
• Northern Mariana Islands : no DST
• Norway : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Oman : no DST
• Pakistan : no DST
• Palau : no DST
• Palestine, State of : begins @ midnight (EET); ends @ midnight (EEST)
• Panama : no DST
• Papua New Guinea : no DST
• Paraguay : begins @ midnight (PYT); ends @ midnight (PYST)
• Peru : no DST
• Philippines : no DST
• Pitcairn : no DST
• Poland : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Portugal : begins @ midnight (AZOT) & 1 AM (WET); ends @ 1 AM (AZOST) & 2 AM (WEST)
• Puerto Rico : no DST
• Qatar : no DST
• Réunion : no DST
• Romania : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Russian Federation : no DST
• Rwanda : no DST
• Saint Barthélemy : no DST
• Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha : no DST
• Saint Kitts and Nevis : no DST
• Saint Lucia : no DST
• Saint Martin (French part) : no DST
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon : begins @ 2 AM (PMST); ends @ 2 AM (PMDT)
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines : no DST
• Samoa : begins @ 3 AM (WSST); ends @ 4 AM (WSDT)
• San Marino : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Sao Tome and Principe : no DST
• Saudi Arabia : no DST
• Senegal : no DST
• Serbia : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Seychelles : no DST
• Sierra Leone : no DST
• Singapore : no DST
• Sint Maarten (Dutch part) : no DST
• Slovakia : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Slovenia : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Solomon Islands : no DST
• Somalia : no DST
• South Africa : no DST
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands : no DST
• South Sudan : no DST
• Spain : begins @ 1 AM (WET) & 2 AM (CET); ends @ 2 AM (WEST) & 3 AM (CEST)
• Sri Lanka : no DST
• Sudan : no DST
• Suriname : no DST
• Svalbard and Jan Mayen : begins @ 1 AM (WET); ends @ 2 AM (WEST)
• Swaziland : no DST
• Sweden : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Switzerland : begins @ 2 AM (CET); ends @ 3 AM (CEST)
• Syrian Arab Republic : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Taiwan, Province of China : no DST
• Tajikistan : no DST
• Tanzania, United Republic of : no DST
• Thailand : no DST
• Timor-Leste : no DST
• Togo : no DST
• Tokelau : no DST
• Tonga : no DST
• Trinidad and Tobago : no DST
• Tunisia : no DST
• Turkey : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• Turkmenistan : no DST
• Turks and Caicos Islands : begins @ 2 AM (EST); ends @ 2 AM (EDT)
• Tuvalu : no DST
• Uganda : no DST
• Ukraine : begins @ 3 AM (EET); ends @ 4 AM (EEST)
• United Arab Emirates : no DST
• United Kingdom : begins @ 1 AM (GMT); ends @ 2 AM (BST)
• United States : begins @ 2 AM (EST, CST, MST, PST, AKST & HAST); ends @ 2 AM (EDT, CDT, MDT, PDT, AKDT & HADT)
• United States Minor Outlying Islands : no DST
• Uruguay : begins @ 2 AM (UYT); ends @ 2 AM (UYST)
• Uzbekistan : no DST
• Vanuatu : no DST
• Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of : no DST
• Viet Nam : no DST
• Virgin Islands, British : no DST
• Virgin Islands, U.S. : no DST
• Wallis and Futuna : no DST
• Western Sahara : begins @ 2 AM (WET); ends @ 3 AM (WEST)
• Yemen : no DST
• Zambia : no DST
• Zimbabwe : no DST

Answer 5

We change the clocks at 2 am to adviod any confusions about the date. The bars close at 1:59 am so it prevents the bars from being open an extra hour.

Answer 6

In the US, Canada and some towns in Mexico, Yes. Daylight Saving (no S) Time begins at 2am on the second Sunday in March and ends at 2am the first Sunday of November at 2am.

Answer 7

That's to reduce the likelihood of people being awake and working at the time of the change.

Answer 8

Why do we change clocks at 2am