Switching to "winter time": when to set the clocks back in Ukraine, and how it affects the body

On the night of Sunday, October 26, 2025, Ukrainians will turn their clocks back one hour. The transition to "winter time" will allow for longer sleep, and how to adjust your sleep schedule to adapt more easily to the time change, writes UNN.

When Ukraine switches to "winter time" in 2025

The transition to winter time will take place on the night from Saturday to Sunday - from October 25 to October 26, 2025. At 4:00 AM, the clock hands should be moved back one hour - that is, from 4:00 to 3:00. This means that from Sunday, Ukrainians will sleep an hour longer, and dawn will begin earlier. It should be noted that computers, smartphones, and smartwatches will change the time automatically, while old mobile phones and mechanical clocks will have to be adjusted manually.

"Winter time"

"Winter time" is considered astronomically natural, meaning that this time corresponds to the actual position of the Sun.

After the clocks are changed, morning will come earlier, it will get dark earlier, and the daily rhythm of most people will become closer to the biological one.

Law on the transition to "winter time": what the legislation says

The first attempts to change clocks appeared in 1908 in Great Britain to save coal. In Ukraine, this principle was introduced in 1981, and since 1996, the current system of transitions has been in effect in accordance with Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 509 of 1996, which establishes two transitions each year - to summer and winter time, in order to use daylight hours more rationally at different times of the year. At the same time, the issue of canceling transitions has been repeatedly discussed in the Verkhovna Rada.

For example, in 2024, the Verkhovna Rada supported the bill on the abolition of the transition to "daylight saving time". So, at the end of October, Ukrainians were supposed to turn the clocks back to "winter time" for the last time, and then there was no longer supposed to be a transition to "daylight saving time".

After the blocking resolutions for its signing were rejected, the law was still sent to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy for signature, but has not yet been signed.

How to adapt without stress

Time change is always a strain on the body. To avoid loss of energy and sleep disorders, experts advise starting to go to bed 15-20 minutes earlier 3-4 days before the transition, and spending more time in natural light in the morning - this will help to "re-tune" biorhythms faster.

In the first days after the clocks are changed, it is better to avoid overwork, excessive consumption of coffee and alcohol. Also, try to stick to a constant sleep and meal schedule - this will facilitate the body's adaptation.

Earlier, UNN wrote that an analysis of data from 168,870 patients refuted previous assumptions about the impact of clock changes on the frequency of acute myocardial infarctions and treatment outcomes.