Time change: Winter time applies from October 29th. Why actually?

Turn back clocks
Yes, the time change still exists: winter time begins this weekend

The time change is coming. This means: Summer time is over, winter time comes into force. On Sunday morning that means sleeping an hour longer, then it gets dark earlier in the evening for six months. Why actually? And for how long?

In spring we put out the garden furniture BEFORE the house, in winter we bring them BACK in the shed.

So far, so simple. This way everyone can remember which direction the clock needs to be turned twice a year. Although many of the clocks that people use these days no longer need to be set by hand. Smartwatches, smartphones and whatever else is so smart are adapting on their own. Radio controlled clocks too. Only the analog timepiece on the wrist needs to be adjusted manually. The retro Casio, as well as grandma’s (or grandpa’s) old wall or grandfather clock.

Now we’re going into a new round: Once again BACK: On the night of Sunday, October 29th, at 3 a.m. the clocks will turn back one hour to 2 a.m. So the night is an hour longer. For many people, the alarm clock doesn’t go off on Sunday morning anyway.

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Time change: Every second person suffers from it

It is questionable how often the clock will be changed twice a year. In 2018, a majority of EU citizens voted to abolish the time change. According to a representative survey in the past, Germans would prefer to keep summer time so that it stays light longer in the evenings. However, the desired time of the majority is not the “right” time. That would be winter time or the valid zone time, in our case Central European Time (CET). Daylight saving time was only enacted by law in 1980 and has been in effect ever since. However, its history goes back further in Germany. It was first used in this country in 1916 as a war measure; the background was the same as at later times: the hope of saving energy on long summer evenings. Has the energy crisis helped the time change gain new popularity? Hardly likely. It was recently said that the savings from turning the pointer are hardly noticeable.

The abolition of the time change is still a long time coming. It was initially postponed in recent years due to the corona pandemic. And it has not yet returned to the agenda. The EU Commission has made a proposal as to how the change could be abolished, but the states of the European Union have not yet been able to reach an agreement. This is bad news for all those who also suffer physically from the change between summer time and winter time – and according to a representative Forsa survey commissioned by KKH Kaufmännische Krankenkasse in 2021, that was one in two people in Germany.

If you have problems with the time change, don’t rely on caffeine

Similar to jet lag, those affected experience disturbed sleep patterns or well-being in the days following the time change. “The time change can cause the internal clock and daily routine to become unbalanced. This is particularly difficult for people who already suffer from sleep disorders or organic illnesses or whose daily routine is not very flexible,” explains KKH doctor Sonja Hermeneit in a press release. And further: “Studies also show that in the first three days after a time change, 15 to 20 percent more hospital admissions for heart problems occur than on average in the year. And there are eight to twelve percent more visits to the doctor during this time.”

However, the doctor advises against excessive use of coffee, energy drinks or other caffeinated drinks. These would only ever provide a short-term push. It is better to exercise in the fresh air, as well as relaxation exercises, good sleep hygiene (more on this at Geo+) and rest breaks. “In this way, the internal clock and daily routine align again within a few days,” says Hermeneit.

As long as the time change is still in effect, it’s best to remember the sentence from the beginning.

Sources: Commercial health insurance company KKH