DAYLIGHT saving time comes to an end in Spain this weekend as the clocks go back by an hour – giving residents an extra 60 minutes in bed.
The clocks will go back at 3am on Sunday, October 25, returning to 2am across mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands.
In the Canary Islands, the change will take place at 2am, when clocks will return to 1am.
The switch means brighter mornings but darker evenings as Spain heads into winter, with sunrise and sunset both arriving an hour earlier by the clock.
The twice-yearly time change has long been controversial, with the European Union debating whether to scrap the practice altogether.
A proposal to end the clock changes was backed by the European Parliament in 2019, but member states have yet to agree on whether to keep summer or winter time permanently.
However, a Spanish sleep expert says the move to winter time could actually be better for our health because it brings our daily schedules closer to the body’s natural rhythms.
Alfredo Rodríguez-Muñoz, a psychology professor at Madrid’s Complutense University, told elDiario.es that morning light plays a crucial role in synchronising the body clock.
Daylight early in the day helps us wake up and keeps our internal rhythms aligned with the natural cycle of light and darkness.
By contrast, bright light late in the afternoon and evening can delay the body clock, making it harder to fall asleep earlier.
The expert said permanent winter time would therefore be better for sleep than keeping summer time throughout the year, which would mean darker mornings.
The effects could be particularly significant for teenagers and people who naturally tend to go to bed late, as their sleep patterns can become even more delayed.
Spain’s late social schedules, including its traditionally late dinners and bedtimes, can further complicate matters, Rodriguez-Muñoz warned.
He recommends getting natural light during the first part of the day, dimming lights gradually in the evening and keeping regular bedtimes and wake-up times.
For now, the clocks will continue to change twice a year, with the next switch to summer time scheduled for March 28, 2027.
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