More sleep this weekend as the clocks go back one hour

The clocks go back one hour in the early hours of Sunday morning as the Netherlands moves into official winter time.

The system of changing the time was reintroduced in the Netherlands in 1977, partly in response to the 1970s energy crisis. Governments at the time hoped to save fuel by extending daylight hours, though research has since shown the effect on energy use is minimal.

The practice has remained ever since, largely for social and economic reasons. On the shortest day of the year – December 21 – the sun will rise at 8.35 am and set at 4.30 pm.

Brussels has been making moves to stop the clock and in 2018, a European Commission survey found that 84% of the 4.6 million respondents wanted to end the time changes – although just 27,000 of them were in the Netherlands.

However, EU member states have yet to agree on which time to keep.

Researchers say the human biological clock is finely tuned to daylight, with a natural cycle lasting around 24 hours and 11 minutes. Some studies link the twice-yearly change to higher rates of strokes, obesity, depression and workplace and traffic accidents.

The clocks will go forward again on the last weekend in March 2026.