Daylight Saving Time: Is the clock going forward or backward?

Berlin. Traveling through time: What is usually only possible in science fiction films becomes very real twice a year – at least almost. Because twice a year in Germany the time changed. The next change takes place in Spring 2023 end of March. Then winter time ends and summer time begins. But when does that happen exactly? Does the clock need to be turned forward or backward? The most important information about the time change.

Time change to daylight saving time 2023: Will clocks be advanced or put back?

In 2023, as every year, the changeover to daylight saving time will take place on the last weekend in March. In 2023 that is March 26th. During the night, the clocks turn by one hour from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m presented. This means: The night is an hour shorter, it gets light later in the morning and dark later in the evening. Also read: How to fight the mini-jetlag after the time change

The switch to the Winter time – like that standard time commonly called – takes place every year on the last Sunday in October. In 2023 this is the 29 October. On the night from Saturday to Sunday, the clocks are turned back at 3 a.m. to 2 a.m. In the following years, the time change falls on these dates:

Time change: always a contentious issue

The topic of time change remains a controversial topic and is emotionally charged: According to a representative survey by the health insurance company DAK, one third of Germans after the time change struggling with physical or mental problems. 76 percent of those surveyed stated that they felt weak and tired. 59 percent complained about falling asleep and sleep disorders. After the time change, every tenth person even suffers from depressive moods.

Various researchers therefore advocate the abolition of the time change because it disrupts the human bio-rhythm. Even in surveys, turning the watch regularly gets a bad deal. More on the subject: All public holidays 2022 in Germany at a glance

Time change 2023 – the most important facts:

Time change in March 2023: How do I change my clock?

In most cases, with both digital and analog watches, there is no way around setting the new time manually by pressing a button or turning the corresponding wheel. It’s easiest if you have a radio-controlled clock: you don’t have to do anything on March 26, the clock changes itself. The time of radio controlled clocks is based on the data of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig.

Everyone else has to take action themselves. But what exactly is to be done? The rule is simple: in spring the clock is turned forward, in autumn it is turned back.

Time change: What are good mnemonics?

But many people cannot remember when the clock has to be changed and how. For them – and everyone else too – there are numerous mnemonicwhich help to set the clock correctly.

Time change: Does the time on the cell phone change automatically?

Four atomic clocks are in use in Braunschweig. Since 1991, the CS2 cesium clock has been supplying the time that is transmitted to radio clocks. Even most cell phones like about that iPhone don’t have to Summertime be set: You get the current time from the radio network. Read about this: Does my smartphone automatically switch to daylight saving time?

When was the time change introduced?

The time change in the EU (then EEC) was introduced in 1976 because of the introduction of daylight saving time energy saved should be. The argument: Because it stayed light longer in the evenings, not so much energy had to be used for electric lights or other aids.

France had already after the 1973 oil crisis introduced the annual changeover to summer time – all other members of the then EG (European Community) had joined later. By 1981 all member states practiced the changeover. Whether energy was actually saved is controversial.

The Federal Environment Agency is even certain: The time change does not save any energy. “Although the light is actually switched on less often in the evenings due to the time change in summer, in spring and autumn there is also more heating in the morning hours. This cancels out each other,” it says.

What is the “right” time? Summer time or “winter time”?

Before the time change as we know it was introduced, clocks in Germany worked the way they do here in winter. So there is actually no such thing as “winter time” – it is “normal time”.

In the 1970s, it was in Germany for the first time Summertime switched. It is disputed, however, whether after the abolition of the time change, summer time or the earlier normal time should become standard time again. In addition to summer time and standard time, there is also coordinated time World time UTC (French: Temps universel coordonné). The German or Central European time, which applies to us in winter, corresponds to UTC+1.

Is the time change bad for animals?

Not only people are affected by the time change: Wild animals such as deer and roe deer also follow their own natural rhythm and continue to be out and about mainly at dusk, reports the German Hunting Association (DJV). The ADAC also warns of the increased danger from game on the roads.

Dusk now coincides with the evening rush hour for several weeks. This increases the risk of wildlife accidents. The animals are out and about, especially in the mornings and evenings. Focus: Country roads, field and forest areas. Drivers should be particularly careful here at dusk and slow down.

If there are animals on the road, you should try to drive them away by honking, advises the ADAC. However, fading in with the high beam has the opposite effect. If a collision is unavoidable, drivers should under no circumstances try to avoid it, as this further increases the risk of an accident. After a wildlife accident, the road must be secured and the police or the hunting tenant informed.

Also pets are struggling with the time change. Dogs and cats in particular are creatures of habit and therefore their rhythm can quickly get confused due to the time change. If, after the time change, there is suddenly food an hour later, it can quickly become uncomfortable.

“We therefore recommend a leisurely changeover to the new rhythm,” advises Daniela Schneider, pet expert at the animal welfare organization Four Paws. It is best for owners to start shifting their pet’s routines by 10 to 15 minutes a day a few days before the actual time change.

The pill during the time change: what do women have to consider?

Many women always take the pill at the same time. Do you have to change the timing now? Only conditionally: With progestin-containing mini-pills, the point in time is very important. But here, too, women can allow themselves a little deviation. It shouldn’t be more than 90 minutes. In general, women should stick to the chosen time, after a few days the body will have compensated for it again. (fmg/bef)

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