The clocks across most of Europe went back by one hour in the early hours of Sunday, 25 October. On paper it was a gift: an extra hour in bed. In practice, many people wake up on Monday feeling oddly out of step, hungry at the wrong times and sleepy by late afternoon. The good news is that the body adjusts quickly when you give it a few clear signals.
Our internal clock, the circadian rhythm, is set mainly by light, meals and routine. When the clock on the wall jumps but your habits stay the same, there is a small mismatch for a few days. Most adults adapt within three to five days, but children, older people, shift workers and anyone who already sleeps poorly can feel it for longer. Here are gentle ways to speed things up.
Why does one hour feel like so much?
Because it is not just one hour of sleep. The time change shifts the moment you see daylight, the moment you eat and the moment you feel tired. In late October, mornings suddenly become brighter while evenings turn dark around five o’clock. That early darkness can make you drowsy long before bedtime, and the temptation to doze on the sofa can then ruin the night that follows.
1. Catch the morning light
Light is the strongest signal your body clock knows. Try to spend ten to twenty minutes outdoors within an hour of waking, even when it is cloudy. A short walk to the bakery, coffee on the balcony or cycling to work all count. Daylight in the morning tells your brain that the day has begun and helps you feel sleepy at the right time in the evening.
2. Keep your wake-up time steady
It is tempting to enjoy the extra hour every morning, but a consistent wake-up time is the anchor of good sleep. Choose a time that suits your week and stick to it, weekends included, for at least the next few days. Bedtime will naturally follow.
3. Move meals with the clock
Your digestion has its own rhythm. Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the usual clock times, rather than when your stomach suggests, helps the whole system reset faster. Keep dinner reasonably light and finish it two to three hours before bed.
4. Beat the late-afternoon slump
The dark evenings can trigger an energy dip around 4 or 5 p.m. Instead of a long nap or a third coffee, stand up, stretch, step outside for a few minutes or switch on bright lights at home. If you really need a nap, keep it under twenty minutes and before 3 p.m.
5. Make evenings calm and dim
An hour before bed, lower the lights, put the phone aside and choose something relaxing: a warm shower, a few pages of a book, gentle stretching or a cup of caffeine-free herbal tea. A cool, dark and quiet bedroom makes it easier to fall asleep at the new time.
A little patience goes a long way
If you still feel a bit groggy midweek, that is normal. Treat this week as a soft reset rather than a problem. With morning light, steady routines and relaxed evenings, most people find that by the weekend the new time feels completely natural, and the cosy, darker evenings of late autumn start to feel like a pleasure instead of a burden.
