Israel Shifts to Winter Time, Adjusting Clocks and Sleep Cycles

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.