DST (Daylight Saving Time) is the practice of advancing clocks by one hour during warmer months—typically from March to October/November—to extend evening daylight. Known as "summer time" in some regions, this shift means "springing forward" (adding an hour) and "falling back" to standard time.
Introduced in 2020, the Digital Services Tax (DST) is a 2% tax on the revenues of multinational tech companies providing UK users with specific 'digital services' including search engines, social media services and online marketplaces, with revenues over £25 million in the UK or £500 million globally.
At the end of daylight saving in Autumn (April), the clocks will be put back one hour, meaning we will enjoy an extra hour in our “night”. The term 'fall back' is used in many countries so we remember to turn our clocks back one hour.
During British Summer Time (BST), civil time in the United Kingdom is advanced one hour forward of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), in effect changing the time zone from UTC+00:00 to UTC+01:00, so that mornings have one hour less daylight, and evenings one hour more. This time zone is only used for DST.
As of 2025, DST is observed in most of Europe, most of North America and parts of Africa and Asia around the Northern Hemisphere summer, and in parts of South America and Oceania around the Southern Hemisphere summer. It was also formerly observed in other areas.
The UK uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in winter and switches to British Summer Time (BST) in the summer, which is one hour ahead (GMT+1), from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, giving more evening daylight. So, it's GMT in winter and BST in summer.
10 hours before bed: No more caffeine. 3 hours before bed: No more food or alcohol. 2 hours before bed: No more work. 1 hour before bed: No more screen time (shut off all phones, TVs and computers).
What would happen if we get rid of daylight savings time in the UK?
Professor von Schantz added: “Restoring permanent Standard Time would mean our clocks would be closely aligned to solar time, and while it would mean earlier sunsets in the summer, there would be additional benefits to health from improved sleep and circadian alignment due to increased exposure to morning sunlight from ...
According to the online museum WebExhibits, the 2 a.m. change was also a convenient middle ground between midnight—when changing the clocks would require the date switching back to the previous day—and later in the morning, when early shift workers and churchgoers might be affected.
According to a new analysis by Stanford Medicine scientists, changing clocks twice a year disrupts circadian rhythms, leading to higher rates of stroke and obesity.
Do I get an extra hour in bed when the clocks go back?
Good news: it also means an extra hour in bed. An easy way to remember which way the clocks change is to think of the seasons: in spring the clocks 'spring forward', while in autumn they 'fall back'. The clocks will go back in the UK on Sunday 25 October 2026 at 2am.
A DST rule defines the boundaries (starting and ending point) and the amount of DST savings, in minutes. A DST boundary is a date time reference. A single DST rule can be referenced by more than one timezone region.
Proponents of daylight saving time argue that most people prefer more daylight hours after the typical "nine to five" workday. Supporters have also argued that DST decreases energy consumption by reducing the need for lighting and heating, but the actual effect on overall energy use is heavily disputed.
What year did they not change the clock in the UK?
The UK didn't change its clocks during a three-year experiment from 1968 to 1971, known as British Standard Time (BST), where clocks stayed an hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) year-round; it was discontinued due to concerns about darker winter mornings, especially in Scotland, despite initial benefits. There was also a period during World War II when the UK used British Double Summer Time (BDST) for productivity, keeping clocks two hours ahead of GMT in summer and one hour ahead in winter.
There's actual evidence that productivity dips in the days after the clocks change. People sleep less, make more mistakes, and even have higher accident rates. On a bigger scale, some studies show small drops in economic output and higher energy costs, though it's not catastrophic.
Benjamin Franklin first introduced the idea of daylight saving time in a 1784 essay titled "An Economical Project." But the modern concept is credited to George Hudson, an entomologist from New Zealand, who in 1895 "proposed a two-hour time shift so he'd have more after-work hours of sunshine to go bug hunting in the ...
Navy SEALs use the "Military Sleep Method," a technique combining progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing (like 4-7-8), and visualization to calm the body and mind, aiming to fall asleep in about two minutes after practicing for several weeks, often involving clearing the face, dropping shoulders, relaxing the chest, then legs, and visualizing peaceful scenes or repeating "don't think" to quiet racing thoughts. This method helps shut down the body's stress response for quick rest, even in demanding environments.
In 1916, a year after Willett's death, Germany became the first country to adopt daylight saving time. The UK did the same a few weeks later, along with many other nations involved in the First World War (1914-1918). Within a few years of its introduction, many countries across the world adopted Daylight Saving Time.
