Winter time has started again: Netherlands sets clocks back one hour

Winter time has started again. During the night from Saturday to Sunday, at 3:00 a.m., the clock was set back to 2:00 a.m. This means that standard time applies again. From now on, it gets light earlier in the morning and the lights must be turned on earlier in the evening.

Artificial summer time has been in force in the Netherlands since 1977. It was introduced because the light then fits better with the times when most people are awake. The idea is that this means less light is needed in the evening and energy is saved. Whether this actually saves money, however, is questionable.

The setting of summer and winter time has been regulated in Europe since 1980. The European Commission wanted to abolish the regulation in 2018, but the Netherlands, among others, has postponed a decision on this.

The Netherlands wants to keep the same time as surrounding countries but wants the European Commission to provide better arguments about the pros and cons of abolishing summer time. For example, changing the times would negatively affect people's biorhythms.

Parents in particular may be concerned that the clock is being turned back, as it is more difficult for children to automatically adjust their biological clock according to the times. Therefore, it can happen that the child wakes up an hour earlier and appears at the parents' bedside at around five in the morning, RTL Nieuws reports.

According to neurologist Roselyne Rijsman of the Haaglanden Medical Center, it takes a few days for children to get used to the new day and night rhythm.

The rhythm acclimation phase also involves adjusting certain daily routines, such as mealtimes and bedtimes. "For example, if your child gets hungry at a quarter past five in the afternoon, you should not eat immediately. It's wiser to wait an hour," Rijsman tells the news broadcast.

But in general, this time change is to breathe a sigh of relief, because the changeover to winter time is actually easier than to summer time, according to RTL Nieuws. This is because the rhythm of most people is slightly longer than 24 hours, but is "squeezed" into 24 hours by eating habits, among other things, the neurologist explains.

Winter time lasts six months, while summer time begins on the last weekend in March.