i24NEWS ArabicGeneral12:49

Israel Shifts to Winter Time, Adjusting Clocks and Sleep Cycles

By i24NEWS

Translated & summarized from i24NEWS Arabic by baba

CenterNeutral tone

Arabic · 3 newsrooms covering

Israel will switch to winter time on October 25, 2026, by setting clocks back one hour at 2:00 AM. The change aims to align human activity with daylight hours, not to grant an extra hour of sleep, and may affect sleepiness and mood due to altered light exposure. The official time is maintained by the National Laboratory of Physics using atomic clocks.

The story in 6 lines · by baba

Israel will shift to winter time on October 25, 2026, moving clocks back one hour at 2:00 AM.
The time change aims to better match human activity with daylight and darkness cycles.
Shorter winter days may increase melatonin, leading to fatigue, and affect serotonin and mood.
Israel's winter time is UTC+2, and its official time is determined by the National Laboratory of Physics.
The transition is governed by the Time Determination Law, enacted in Israel.
The Palestinian Authority changes its time on a different day, between Friday and Saturday.

Israel will transition to winter time on the night between Saturday and Sunday, October 25, 2026. At 2:00 AM, clocks will be set back one hour to 1:00 AM. This change aligns with the Time Determination Law, which mandates the shift to winter time on the last Sunday of October. Winter time will conclude on the last Friday of March, when clocks will be advanced by one hour for the return to summer time.

Contrary to the common perception of gaining an extra hour of sleep, the primary goal of the time change is to better synchronize human activity with daylight and darkness. While summer time provides an extra hour of evening light, winter time aims to ensure most people wake up when it is already light outside. The shorter daylight hours in winter can lead to increased melatonin levels, a hormone regulating sleep cycles, potentially causing feelings of fatigue and sleepiness. Additionally, reduced light exposure may affect serotonin levels, impacting mood.

Israel's winter time is set at UTC+2, two hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). During summer, the time shifts to UTC+3. The official time in Israel is determined by the National Laboratory of Physics within the Ministry of Economy and Industry. This laboratory continuously compares Israel's time measurements with those from other national laboratories worldwide, using three cesium atomic clocks as the basis for the national time and frequency standard. This precise timing is crucial for various civilian and commercial systems, including television broadcasts, phone calls, and computer networks.