The time change in France is an event that takes place twice a year and which often raises the same question: “Should we sleep an hour more or an hour less?”.
As the transition to winter time approaches which is planned for the night of Saturday October 26 to Sunday October 27, 2024we recall that watches and clocks must be set back one hour. So at 3 a.m. it will actually be 2 a.m., giving you an extra hour of sleep. If you wake up at the same time as “usual”, you will appreciate the fact that it is a little less dark! Good news for those who own a smartphone or a connected watch: the time change is done automatically by default.
One more hour of sleep
This time change system was introduced in France following the oil crisis of 1973-1974 and its initial objective was to save energy. By synchronizing the time of sunshine with human activities, it made it possible to reduce the consumption of electricity produced – mainly by oil at the time. Since 1998, the dates have been harmonized at European level. However, energy consumption patterns have evolved since the 70s and 80s, this system is becoming more and more controversial.
⏰ Time change ⏰
During the night from Saturday to Sunday, don’t forget to set your watch forward by 1 hour
📢 At 2 a.m., it will actually be 3 a.m.! pic.twitter.com/yARRrT2RRi— Météo-France (@meteofrance) March 24, 2017
Criticisms against the time change primarily concern its Current energy inefficiency and its negative impacts on health. Indeed, there are studies which have shown that this practice could lead to sleep disturbances, mood disorders and even an increase in cardiovascular accidents. Children and the elderly are relatively vulnerable to these changes because their biological rhythm is stricter.
In 2018, the European Commission launched a public consultation which found that 84% of respondents were in favor of removing the time change. Following this, MEPs voted for its removal in March 2019. However, the application of this decision was delayed, in particular due to the Covid-19 crisis and it is no longer on the agenda of the day.
