Don’t Forget: When to Set Your Clocks Forward for Daylight Saving Tonight!

HOUSEHOLDS across the UK and Europe will wake up one hour earlier tomorrow, as the daylight saving time kicks in.

While we all have to sacrifice one hour of sleep tonight, we can enjoy longer days with evening daylight in return.

Here is all you need to know about the upcoming time change.

Households will have to move the hands on their clocks one hour forwards

When are clocks changing tonight?

The dates on which clocks change vary depending on where you are, sparking chaos and confusion for many.

Since 1996, the majority of observes European Summer Time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

This includes the UK, where the clocks will move forward one hour at 1am on Sunday, March 29, this year.

If you are awake at this time, you can see your phone clock jumping from 0:59 straight to 2am.

This marks the transition from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to British Summer Time (BST).

While most modern digital devices are programmed to , those with traditional clocks and analogue watches must not forget to move the hands one hour forward.

This lost hour of sleep will be given back to us on Sunday, October 25, when the to the standard time.

Why do we have daylight saving time?

British builder William Willett proposed British Summer Time to Parliament in 1907 as a way to , but it took nearly a decade to get implemented.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) was first officially used by Germany during during , with the aim to better use daylight hours and conserve energy.

The UK then took the idea one step further in with the introduction of British Double Summer Time.

This meant that clocks were moved two hours ahead of GMT during the summer and remained one hour ahead of GMT in the winter.

Since then, many countries have adopted DST at various times, particularly after the 1970s energy crisis.

While the actual effect on is heavily disputed, it is often argued that lighter summer evenings improve road safety, reducing traffic accidents at busy commuting times.

Sensitive individuals can experience temporary low mood and worse concentration as part of the national jet lagCredit: Alamy

Another argument for DST is that most people prefer having more daylight hours after the typical “nine to five” workday.

With the sun rising as early as 4.30am standard time in the summer, the majority are and therefore cannot benefit from it.

However, early birds and shift workers will experience darker mornings once again.

Experts also agree that this mild, nationwide jet lag can cause short-term effects on mood, concentration and .