Although the European Union has decided to end the time change, the semi-annual ritual still takes place. On Sunday, the 27th of October, the clocks will be reset at night at three o'clock, that is, at two o'clock.
While some people say the time change will trigger a weeks-long mini-jet lag, others do not seem impressed. How can that be?
Scientists have long been concerned with the health effects of clock-turning - especially with the switch to the summer time. Almost ten years ago, almost all studies came to the conclusion that problems such as sleep disorders were resolved at the latest within one to two weeks.
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In recent research, however, there is evidence that the biological rhythm in some people harmonizes a little slower - so a report from the Office for Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag from 2016.
Lack of harmony between inner clock and the exterior
The time change interrupts the adaptation to the seasonal changes. "The changeover forces you to postpone waking up or down by an hour, which is why the harmony between the outside and the inside clock gets mixed up," says Gregor Eichele. The head of the Gene and Behavior Department at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry deals with how molecules influence the biological rhythm. The hour shift is particularly noticed by people who have a regular sleep pattern, so Eichele.
Humans' internal clock allows many processes to run in cycles of around 24 hours - such as changes in body temperature and blood pressure, release of hormones, and the sleep-wake cycle.
If the time change interferes with sleep, then after just a few days of lack of sleep, most people are less concentrated, forgetful, and they react measurably slower. A few tips that can help to avoid the mini-jetlag can be found here.