The Netherlands moved clocks forward by an hour overnight

The Netherlands joined most of Europe overnight, moving the clocks forward by one hour to start European Summer Time early Sunday morning. Clocks went forward at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in March, and will change back to winter time on October 27, the last Sunday in that month.

The Netherlands first started using summer time in 1916, but stopped three decades later. Fifty years later, the Netherlands again began moving the clocks ahead an hour in 1996.

A proposal to do away with the semi-annual changing of the clocks looked at one point like it was headed to passage in the EU. It would allow countries to choose whether to remain on summer time permanently, or make a final switch to winter time.

Although the plan was popular with the public and politicians, there were concerns that countries locate close to each other geographically might make different decisions about whether to stay on summer or winter time. There were fears this would cause a logistical nightmare.

Still, the plan passed through European Parliament in 2021, but the European Council has yet to make up its mind. The proposal has been stuck in limbo at the EU’s executive board since 2019.

Daylight savings time started with the theory that people would reduce their energy consumption because the increase in daylight hours meant less of a need to turn on lighting. There is little evidence that this has actually been the case.

Contrarily, the resulting issues, like disrupted sleep, cause greater problems due to fatigue and a lack of focus. Additionally, the time change can cause more serious health issues, ranging from depression to cardiovascular problems.