As the evenings get progressively darker there looms another threat: the autumn time change.
In the UK, the clocks are changed twice a year as part of Daylight Saving Time. Its trade-off is longer and brighter evenings in the Summer, and lighter mornings in the Winter.
Despite the public being divided on whether we should keep this tradition, any attempt to scrap the system in the UK has failed.
So with being the case, here’s everything you need to know about this autumn’s time change.
When do the clocks go back?
The clocks go back on Sunday, October 26, at 2am.
This is when British Summer Time (BST) ends, and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) begins.
The majority of new-technology phones and digital devices will update automatically. However, analogue clocks and other digital clocks, such as car and oven clocks, often need to be changed manually.
Do you lose or gain an hour in October?
When the clocks go back on October 26 you gain an hour.
This means that you get a longer sleep. It also means that late-night bars and clubs stay open longer - should they so choose.
Why do the clocks change?
The custom of changing the clocks by an hour began more than 100 years ago. In 1916, Parliament passed the Summer Time Act, thereby creating BST.
It was the result of a campaign started in 1907 by William Willett, to stop people wasting valuable hours of light in the summer months and to save fuel during the war.
Germany was the first country to adopt the clock-changing plan in April that year and the UK followed in May.
While Daylight Savings Time is observed in most places in Europe, North America and Australasia, most places in Africa and Asia don't observe the practice.
When do the clocks go forward again?
The clocks go forward in Spring 2026, on March 29.
For the next three months, it will become ever darker until we reach winter solstice.
Meanwhile, the longest day next year, also known as the summer solstice, can be enjoyed on June 21.
How do clock changes impact our sleep rhythms?
Some people find it difficult to adjust their sleeping habits when the clocks change initially.
“As the clocks go back and we transition out of British Summer Time, it’s important to understand how melatonin plays a key role in regulating our sleep-wake cycle,” Dr Tim Mercer, a NHS GP partner and GP trainer with Opera Beds, says. “Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland in the brain, and is released by light exposure.”
“During the evening and in darkness, the pineal gland increases melatonin production, signalling to the body that it’s time to sleep. Conversely, exposure to daylight suppresses melatonin production, keeping us more alert during the day.”
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He continues that as it grows dark outside earlier after the clocks go back, our bodies may start producing melatonin earlier in the evening, which can make us feel sleepier earlier than usual. “This shift can lead to temporary disruptions in sleep patterns as your body adjusts to the new schedule.”
