Israel Shifts to Winter Time Oct. 25, Affecting Sleep and Mood
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
Israel will switch to winter time on October 25, 2026, moving clocks back one hour to better align with daylight. This change, according to Dr. Oleg Popov, aims to adjust human activity to natural light cycles, not to gain sleep. Shorter winter days can increase fatigue due to higher melatonin and potentially lower serotonin levels, affecting mood. Israel's time zone is UTC+2 during winter.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel switches to winter time on October 25, 2026, moving clocks back one hour.
- The time change aims to align human activity with daylight, not to gain sleep.
- Shorter winter days may increase fatigue and affect mood due to hormonal changes.
- Winter time in Israel is set at UTC+2, two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
- The official time is maintained by atomic clocks at the Ministry of Economy and Industry.
Israel will transition to winter time on Sunday, October 25, 2026, when clocks will be set back one hour from 2:00 AM to 1:00 AM. This change is mandated by the Time Law, which stipulates the shift on the last Sunday of October. Winter time will remain in effect until the last Friday of March, when clocks will move forward again for daylight saving time.
Dr. Oleg Popov, Manager of Time and Frequency Measurements at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, clarified that the purpose of the time change is not to gain an extra hour of sleep, but rather to better align human activity with daylight hours. In summer, an extra hour of daylight is enjoyed in the evening, while in winter, the time is adjusted so that most people wake up after sunrise.
During winter, shorter daylight hours and longer nights lead to increased melatonin levels, a hormone regulating sleep cycles, potentially causing greater feelings of fatigue and sleepiness. Reduced light exposure in winter may also be linked to lower serotonin levels, impacting mood and potentially leading to lower spirits.
Israel's winter time is set at UTC+2, two hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is based on the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, UK. During summer, Israel observes UTC+3. The official time in Israel is determined by the National Laboratory of Physics within the Ministry of Economy and Industry, which continuously compares Israel's time measurements with those of other international laboratories using three cesium atomic clocks to maintain the national standard for time and frequency. This precise time is crucial for various civilian and commercial systems, including television broadcasts, phone calls, and computer networks.
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