Prepare yourselves! Here’s when you need to change your clocks for daylight saving time

Even though it happens twice a year, daylight saving time can be an enigma of sorts. While we will lose an hour of sleep when daylight saving 2017 starts, we will get extra sunshine over the spring and summer to make up for it. So, to help us prepare, when exactly is daylight saving this year? Well, get ready — because this time change happens on Sunday, March 12th.

If you’re anything like us, the mnemonic device of “spring forward, fall back” does nothing to help us understand the intricacies of daylight saving time. But what you need to know, according to the United States Naval Observatory, is that:

"On the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time (which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time)."

OKAY, so if that was still confusing, just know that means you’ll magically travel an hour into the future on Sunday, March 12th.

That is, of course, if you don’t live in Hawaii, certain parts of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or other U.S. territories (all of which don’t observe good old DST).

We’re kind of ashamed that we still haven’t figured out the logistics of this biannual event, but all that really matters is that by bumping the clocks up an hour, most of America gets more sun in the evening during the spring and summer.

While the rotation of the earth gives us extra sunlight during those seasons anyway, there is definitely a renewed energy that comes from 6 p.m. looking like 5 p.m. after a long, dreary winter — no matter where you live.

So, even though you may be bummed about losing an hour of sleep, remember that this time shift will give you more time to soak up the sun. And while your cell phone will automatically change to reflect the new time, make sure to set any other clocks forward an hour when you wake up on Sunday, March 12th.