Every year on the last Sunday of October, Ukraine, like many countries around the world, switches to standard time. At 04:00, the clock hands are moved back one hour. This provides an extra hour of sleep on a day off, but the question of whether this tradition is appropriate in the 21st century remains open to this day. Despite the fact that two years ago the Verkhovna Rada adopted a bill under which Ukraine was to remain on standard time permanently, the president has still not signed it. UNN will explain how to prepare for the clock change and discuss the history of this practice
The history of the tradition
The idea of changing the time emerged long before the advent of modern electrical grids. In 1784, Benjamin Franklin published an essay in which he jokingly suggested getting up earlier to save candles. However, the scientific and economic rationale was provided by British builder William Willett in 1907. He was outraged that in summer people slept through the first hours of sunlight and wasted artificial lighting in the evening. The first country to officially introduce seasonal clock changes at the state level was the German Empire in 1916 — during the First World War, this was a critical measure to save coal. The practice was subsequently adopted by Great Britain, the United States, and most European countries.
In Ukraine, the practice of changing the clock hands was introduced during the Soviet era in 1981 and, after independence, formalized by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers in 1996.
Economic rationale: myth or reality
The main purpose of seasonal clock changes is the rational use of daylight and saving electricity. In the 20th century, when most energy was spent specifically on lighting businesses and homes, this was highly noticeable. However, the structure of energy consumption has changed significantly in the modern world. Thanks to energy-efficient LED technologies, lighting accounts for only a small share of total energy consumption. Instead, household appliances, air-conditioning systems, heating, and continuously operating infrastructure have become the main consumers. Modern studies show that the actual electricity savings from changing the clock hands range from 0.2% to 1%, which, on a national scale, is an almost imperceptible figure.
Impact on human health and biorhythms
Although the transition to standard time is considered easier on the body than the spring transition, it is still stressful for human physiology. Disruption of natural circadian rhythms, that is, the internal biological clock, causes what is known as "desynchronosis."
In the first days after the clock change, fluctuations in blood pressure are recorded. Although the risk of heart attacks increases more significantly during the spring transition, in autumn the body responds to the change in the light pattern with increased fatigue. The reduction in evening daylight hours can trigger seasonal affective disorder or autumn depression. The body receives less sunlight, which reduces the production of serotonin and vitamin D. The adaptation of the biological clock to the new schedule takes from several days to two weeks. During this period, people more often complain of insomnia, reduced concentration, and increased irritability.
How can adaptation be made easier?
Three to five days before the clock change, start going to bed and getting up 15–20 minutes later. Try to spend more time outdoors during the first half of the day so that your body receives natural light. Avoid heavy food, alcohol, and excessive coffee consumption in the evening; moderate physical activity will help normalize sleep.
The modern context and the future of time changes
In recent years, an active debate has been underway around the world over abolishing seasonal clock changes. In 2019, the European Parliament supported a decision to abandon the practice, calling on EU member states to determine a permanent time. However, due to bureaucratic coordination and the pandemic, this decision has not yet taken final effect.
In Ukraine, there have also been repeated attempts to abolish the seasonal time change and establish a single standard time. As early as 2024, we were supposed to switch to winter time only; the Verkhovna Rada passed this bill, but the president has still not made a decision. On the one hand, fixing the time is about caring for citizens and their health, as well as the absence of any real economic benefit, while on the other hand, attention is drawn to the convenience of synchronizing time with European partners and the country’s geographical features.