according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology nist Daylight Saving Time DST was first implemented during World War I to conserve energy beginning with Germany in 1916 followed by the United States and other countries contrary to popular belief DST wasn't invented by Benjamin Franklin but rather proposed by New Zealand entomologist George Hudson in 1895 each fall clocks fall back 1 hour typically on the first Sunday of November marking the end of DST and a return to Standard Time this shift is meant to make better use of daylight during shorter winter days but it can also disrupt our Cadian rhythms leading to sleep disturbances and in some cases an increased risk of accidents a study published in the asterisk New England Journal of Medicine asterisk shows a slight rise in traffic incidents during the days following the time change to ease the M experts recommend gradually shifting bedtime getting morning sunlight and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule sources nist BBC News prerow 2005 Corin 2001