We all love an extra hour in bed when the clocks go back in autumn. But this? This is the opposite. You go to sleep at your usual time, only to wake up feeling like you’ve been cheated. Your internal clock says, “Hey, it’s 7 AM,” but your phone says, “Nope, it’s 8 AM, and you’re late for brunch.” Sarah, my neighbour, once tried to “game” the system by going to bed early. She ended up lying awake, counting sheep, and then still overslept. We’ve all been there.
The good news? That lost hour is actually stolen for a good reason. The idea is to make better use of daylight—so you can enjoy that after-work walk, the kids can play outside later, and your evening BBQ doesn’t require a headlamp. It’s like nature giving you a gentle nudge to say, “Spring is here, go outside and touch some grass.”
How to Survive the Change Without Losing Your Mind
First, don’t panic. The actual switch happens in the dead of night (1:00 AM becomes 2:00 AM), so you’ll probably be asleep. But your smartphone will handle it automatically, while you—poor soul—will have to manually change the microwave, the car clock, and that ancient oven timer that’s been wrong since 2019 anyway. Pro tip: do it before you go to bed, or you’ll be staring at a blinking 00:00 while your toast burns.
Second, embrace the light. Yes, losing an hour of morning sleep stings, but think of the payoff. Suddenly, it’s 7 PM and the sky is still a soft blue. That’s prime time for a spontaneous walk, a game of catch, or just sitting on the porch watching the birds. My friend Dave texted me last year after the change: “Mate, I just mowed the lawn at 8 PM. I felt like a superhero.” That’s the spirit.
Clocks are going back soon: Here’s when daylight saving time ends in
