Time change 2025 – health, economy and climate impact

During the night from Saturday, March 29, 2025, to Sunday, we will once again move the clock forward by one hour. However, time change continues to spark controversy around the world, with an increasing number of sources suggesting it does more harm than good. Will we finally manage to abandon it? And does anyone really benefit from it?

Where did time change come from?

The first to introduce time change were the Germans in 1916, facing a coal shortage during wartime. However, the idea was not met with enthusiasm and was suspended until… World War II, when even occupied Poland fell victim to German thriftiness. In the following decades, daylight saving time in Poland was withdrawn and reintroduced three more times, and since 1977, we have been switching to it every spring.

The idea behind time change is simple – by shifting our daily activity one hour earlier, we also go to bed earlier, thus making more use of daylight. As a result, the moment when artificial lighting becomes necessary is delayed, leading to a reduction in electricity consumption.

What impact does time change have on the human body?

What may seem like an innocent clock adjustment has proven to have far-reaching consequences. According to scientists, daylight saving time does not align with the body’s natural circadian rhythm, and the extended daylight exposure can disrupt healthy sleep. Studies conducted so far link time change to an increased risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, adopting permanent standard time would be more beneficial to public health.

Turning the clocks forward in spring usually results in a sleep deficit (on average, 40 minutes less sleep on the Monday after the change), which correlates with a higher incidence of road accidents. People feel more tired, their work productivity drops, and some studies even show associations with weight gain, depression, and cluster headaches. No positive health impacts have been observed.

Does daylight saving time help reduce emissions?

If time change is clearly unhealthy for the human body, why not get rid of it? Currently, there is no political consensus on the issue, and the economic facts are inconclusive.

On one hand, the switch from traditional light bulbs to LED technology has significantly reduced the original energy savings on artificial lighting. We also use numerous additional electric devices, from TVs to computers, for which daylight makes no difference. Bright evenings may even encourage people to go out more, leading to increased emissions – one study showed a rise in nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds in the air following the time change. A 2018 meta-analysis of 44 studies showed that energy savings from daylight saving time average only 0.34 percent – a very modest result.

But there is another side of the coin. In warmer regions, starting work earlier in the day means office spaces are less heated and more comfortable, which reduces the need for air conditioning. Energy savings can reach up to 5.9 percent, which in countries dependent on fossil fuels translates into a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Each new study produces slightly different results, and the overall impact on the economy and climate remains ambiguous. However, public opinion polls suggest that the majority of Americans and Europeans oppose time change. The problem lies in choosing which time to stick with – the medical community favors standard time, while retailers prefer daylight saving time, as it allows for more shopping hours after work. And people, as we know, are divided into night owls and early birds. So who will win this battle?