All posts tagged: clocks changing

How To Cope With 2026’s SPring Clock Change

How To Cope With 2026’s SPring Clock Change

Published by Sam Flores

We’re about to enter British Summer Time (BST). This year (2026), it kicks in at 1am on Sunday, 29 March (in the UK, always happens on the last Sunday of March, thanks in part to Chris Martin’s great-great-grandfather). And while the shift is linked to lower incidences of car accidents, it’s also associated with worse sleep and even a higher risk of heart attacks. So, we thought we’d share the best advice we’ve heard about coping with the change: 1) Eat dinner an hour earlier on Sunday, 29 March Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, Dr Tim Mercer, an NHS GP partner, said, “On Sunday, 29th March, eat dinner an hour earlier than usual.” That’s because “Where we’re losing an hour, eating too close to your bedtime can disturb your sleep and cause indigestion,” he explained. 2) Get some morning sunlight Clock changes can wreak havoc on our Circadian rhythm, or body clock, which is key to a good night’s sleep. But sunlight can help to regulate your sleep-wake cycle, and morning light seems most effective …

How To Sleep Well When The Clocks Change

How To Sleep Well When The Clocks Change

Published by Sam Flores

We’re getting closer to British Summer Time (BST), which kicks in on 29 March. It always happens on the last Sunday of March. And while some argue daylight saving time helps to reduce car accidents, it’s also been linked to worse sleep and higher incidences of heart attack and stroke. To help you navigate it as successfully as possible (with minimal disruption to sleep), Dr Tim Mercer, an NHS GP partner and GP trainer with Opera Beds, has shared some tips for managing the shift. 1) Eat dinner earlier on Sunday, 29 March Eating too close to your bedtime can “significantly impact the quality of sleep, particularly the deeper and more restorative phases such as deep and REM sleep,” psychologist Dr Leah Kaylor told HuffPost UK previously. And Dr Mercer said that when the clocks change, our eating window should, too. “On Sunday, 29th March, eat dinner an hour earlier than usual,” he suggested. “Where we’re losing an hour, eating too close to your bedtime can disturb your sleep and cause indigestion.” 2) Try “sleep …

Sorry, What? Chris Martin’s Relative Invented Daylight Savings Time

Sorry, What? Chris Martin’s Relative Invented Daylight Savings Time

Published by Sam Flores

Remember those people who (rather controversially) accused Lola Young of being a “nepo baby” because her aunt wrote The Gruffalo? I wonder what they’d think about Chris Martin, whose great-great-grandfather was responsible for British Summer Time (BST) taking off in the UK. Yup – it turns out the band member, who sings a song called Clocks, is a direct descendant of builder William Willett. And Willett is a big part of the reason your clocks change on the last Sunday of every March. Who was William Willett? He was a builder from Kent. And one day, when he was out and about in the summer, he noticed that some curtains were drawn even though it was light outside. This struck the apparently very industrious Will as an enormous waste of time, energy, and working hours. In fact, he was so annoyed by it that he self-funded a pamphlet called The Waste Of Daylight. “For nearly half the year the sun shines for several hours each day, while we are asleep, and is rapidly nearing the …