When Should You Change Your Clock?
To start standard time, on October 26, 2025, at 3 a.m., we’ll set the clock back one hour to 2 a.m. While few of us do this manually anymore, most smartwatches and phones adjust automatically. Still, it’s a good idea to check your home in the morning and reset wall clocks, microwaves, ovens, or your car’s clock if needed.
Thanks to the time change, sunrise and sunset on October 26, 2025, will be about an hour earlier than the day before. You’ll enjoy more morning light but less in the evening.
How Does Standard Time Affect Your Body?
The good news? Losing an hour of sleep when switching to daylight saving time is much tougher on your body’s internal clock than gaining an hour back with standard time.
It sounds better to get an extra hour of sleep, and your body adjusts more easily when mornings get brighter earlier and evenings darken sooner.
Still, sudden changes to your routine can leave a mark in the days following the time change.
Adjusting to a new sleep schedule can be challenging, especially during the first week after the switch. Whether you fall asleep later or wake up earlier, this shift can disrupt your usual rhythm both mentally and physically.
Changing the clock affects not just your night’s rest but also your mood, alertness, and appetite.
This happens because your body’s internal clock is influenced by environmental cues, especially light. For mammals, including humans, light is the strongest signal.
Seasonal changes bring shifts in light and temperature that impact your activity levels and mood. Shorter, darker, and colder days often affect sleep and brain function, making you feel less energetic and sometimes a bit down. When a sudden change like a clock shift happens on top of this, it can impact both your mental and physical well-being.
How Can You Prevent Negative Effects?
When days get shorter, some of us leave for work in the dark and return home the same way. If that sounds like you, try to soak up natural light during the day—sit by a window at lunch or take a short walk outside if you can. It’s a simple mood booster.
Good sleep is also key to staying at your best during the time change and all winter long.
Start with at least 7 hours of sleep each night and keep a consistent sleep schedule. Gradually adjusting your bedtime before the change can also help.
For example, in the week leading up to the fall switch, try going to bed 5–10 minutes later each night. This gradual shift helps your body ease into the one-hour change.
If you usually go to bed at 10 p.m., stretch it to 11 p.m. over the week before the change. When the clocks go back, your new 11 p.m. bedtime will feel like 10 p.m., and you can return to your normal schedule.
