It is almost time to gain back that hour of sleep you lost in the spring.

Daylight saving time 2012 officially ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 4. That means you need to set your clock back one hour. Daylight saving time began on Sunday, March 11.

While changing your clocks is important, Daylight Saving time is also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms according to the United States Fire Administration.

Until 2005, daylight saving time began on the first Sunday in April and ended on the last Sunday in October. With the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, daylight saving time was extended by a total of four weeks.  The start date was moved to the second Sunday in March and the end date was shifted to the first Sunday in November.