Daylight saving time: When do the clocks go back in Germany?

Twice a year, the clock in Germany is changed between summer time (Sommerzeit) and winter time (Winterzeit). However, the dates for the time shift (Zeitverscheibung) differ from year to year.

When will the time change to winter time in 2024?

Germany introduced the switch between summer and winter time in 1980 after the global oil crisis. The idea was that it would save energy if it were light out when more people were waking up.

But the switch continues to be unpopular, and eliminating it altogether has been a source of constant debate for decades. 

READ ALSO: When will Germany ditch the seasonal clock changes?

The changeover to winter time always takes place on the last Sunday in October. In 2024, the clocks fell back to winter time on October 27th. 

Unless you have an analog clock on the wall, whose arms you’ll need to shift manually, most other time bearing devices, like smartphones and computers, will automatically update to the new time.

In Germany, the signal for the automatic time change comes from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Braunschweig.

The experts at the authority ensure that radio-controlled clocks, station clocks and many industrial clocks are supplied with the signal via a long-wave transmitter called DCF77, which is located in Mainflingen in Hesse.

Is the clock set forward or backwards?

On way to remember which way the time changes is with the simple mnemonic device: "spring forward, fall back." As in, in the spring clocks are set forward, and in the autumn (or fall) they fall back.

So on Sunday the clock is to be turned back for winter time, and this occurs specifically at 3am (although you may wish to reset your own analog clock before you go to sleep).

For most people this change could allow for an extra hour of sleep on Sunday night. But for those working the night shift it may also involve an extra hour of work. If this applies to you, you may want to double check that you are being paid for the extra hour. According to reporting by DPA, whether or not the hour is paid normally or counted as overtime may depend on contracts and collective agreements.

From Sunday on, you can expect to see the first light a bit earlier in the morning, but it also means an earlier sunset in the evening.

Conversely, in the summer the weather is usually nicer and people prefer to spend evenings outside more often. So when the warmer months come again, the clocks will again jump one hour ahead: from 2am to 3am. 

Time change: similar to jetlag

"Many people manage the time change without any problems," sleep physician Kneginja Richter, chief physician of the Curamed Day Clinic Nuremberg and professor at the Nuremberg University of Technology, told DPA. 

But some people do feel the change. "The clock was invented to structure our activities," said Richter.

Yet if we were to follow our sleep-wake rhythm - completely free of clock times - it would be longer - or shorter -  than 24 hours for many people.

Those who tend to sleep poorly may find it harder to cope with the time change, with age playing a major role.

"From the age of 55, the pineal gland in the brain releases less melatonin, the sleep hormone," added Richter. This can be a risk factor for sleep disorders - and thus make you more sensitive to the time change.

How to adjust to the change

Our expectations can also influence how well we cope with the change. After all, the time change doesn't come out of nowhere - it creeps into our consciousness days before.

"And if we know we're sensitive to it, we may programme ourselves to think, 'oh, I'm going to sleep badly this week too'," said Richter. This thought can stress us out so much that we find it even more difficult to rest.

Richter also advised slightly adjusting your sleep rhythm by a few minutes each day before the time change comes into effect.

Those who missed this opportunity can rely on another tip from the sleep physician: "Light, light, light. Because the more light we get during the day, the more energy we feel and the easier it is to cope with problems like the time change."

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in October 2024

What do people in Germany think about the clock changes?

Germans might take these tips to heart, but in Germany public opinion is resoundingly in favour of scrapping the hour change.

A opinion poll by YouGov in 2021 found 71 percent of Germans are in favour of abolishing the practice of changing the clocks in spring and autumn.

In a survey published by the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit, 78 percent were in favour of abolishing the time change, and 30 percent of respondents said they had experienced health or psychological problems after the clocks changed.

Meanwhile, a KKH survey provided a similar picture. A total of 24 percent said they were irritable or tired in the days after the time change, and 26 percent had trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night.

With reporting by DPA.