Israel Shifts to Winter Time, Gaining Sleep but Losing Daylight
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Israel will switch to winter time on October 25, 2026, moving clocks back one hour and gaining an hour of sleep while losing an hour of daylight. Experts note the change can increase fatigue due to higher melatonin levels and lower moods from reduced light exposure. Israel's official time is maintained by atomic clocks at the Ministry of Economy.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel will switch to winter time on October 25, 2026, moving clocks back one hour.
- The time change grants Israelis an extra hour of sleep but reduces daylight hours.
- Experts link earlier darkness in winter to increased fatigue and lower moods.
- Israel's official time is precisely maintained by atomic clocks at the Ministry of Economy.
- Israel will be at UTC+2 during winter time until late March.
Israel is set to transition to winter time on the night of Saturday, October 24, to Sunday, October 25, 2026. At 2:00 AM, clocks will be turned back one hour to 1:00 AM, granting Israelis an extra hour of sleep but resulting in an earlier loss of daylight.
The shift, mandated by the Time Determination Law, aims to align public activity with daylight hours. While summer time extends daylight into the evening, winter time ensures most people wake up to daylight, even at the cost of an hour of evening light. This change to earlier darkness can affect the body, according to Dr. Oleg Popov from the Ministry of Economy and Industry.
Dr. Popov explained that during winter, melatonin, the "darkness hormone," increases, leading to feelings of fatigue. Reduced light exposure can also lower serotonin levels, potentially causing lower moods and increased feelings of depression during this period.
Israel's official time, UTC(INPL), is maintained by the National Laboratory of Physics at the Ministry of Economy, utilizing three precise cesium atomic clocks. Following the switch to winter time, Israel will be at UTC+2 until the return to summer time in late March.
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