On Sunday, the clocks go back an hour - How does this change affect our health?
Every year in October, when the clocks go back an hour, millions of people rejoice at the thought of getting an extra hour of sleep. But does this small change really affect our bodies, our sleep, and our mood?
According to experts, the fall time change is much easier on the body than the spring one, but it is not completely harmless. In fact, it affects our circadian rhythm, the internal 24-hour clock that regulates sleep, wakefulness, hormone production and emotional state.
“There is a circadian clock in every cell in the body, but there is also a central clock, a group of neurons in the brain that automatically tracks light, dawn, dusk and darkness through signals coming from the eyes,” explains a professor of psychiatry at the University of Helsinki. “The functioning of this clock affects the quality of sleep and our mood. That is why it is so important,” he added.
Daylight saving time is the practice of moving the clocks forward one hour in the spring and back one hour in the fall. Most of Europe, North America, parts of Africa, and Asia follow this system. This year, the clocks will go back on Sunday, October 26. While many people welcome the extra hour of sleep, the change can easily throw off the synchronization of our internal clocks, and some people are more sensitive to this change than others.
"Generally, despite complaints that evenings are getting darker, the autumn change is perceived as easier. Those who complain that it is suddenly dark when they get off work should keep in mind that morning light is much more important for us," the experts explain.
While the spring time change, which "steals" an hour of sleep, has often been linked to a sudden increase in traffic accidents, sleep loss, and even heart attacks. A study by the American Heart Foundation showed a 24 percent increase in heart attack cases the day after the switch to daylight saving time. But even the October change, while milder, may have more subtle effects.
A 2025 study from Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Oxford found that women were more likely than men to feel increased anxiety, confusion, and stress in the days after the clocks went back.
By modeling light exposure, circadian synchronization, and health outcomes across the United States, researchers estimated that switching to a permanent standard schedule (i.e., without seasonal changes) could prevent about 300,000 strokes per year and reduce obesity in about 2.6 million people.
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