SUMMER TIME 2022. The next time change takes place in March. When exactly do we switch to summer time in France? How to prepare for it? When will this measure end in France? Advice, abolition of the time change, 2022 summer/winter dates, 2023 dates… All you need to know.
[Mis à jour le 8 février 2022 à 16h46] In France, we change time twice a year. The next change to summer time is in March. The purpose of the time change? Gain an hour of natural sunshine to save artificial energy in the evening (electricity). This highly contested measure, which was supposed to come to an end, continues to apply in France. Exact dates of the time change and instructions for preparing and adapting to it.
When do we switch to summer time in 2022?
This year, we change time on the night of Saturday March 26 to Sunday March 27, 2022. At 2 a.m., it will be 3 a.m. we therefore lose an hour of sleep. Daylight saving time always occurs on the last full weekend of March. What changes:
- The sun sets later
- We lose an hour of sleep
- Daylight saving time is set to GMT+2
When do we switch to winter time in 2022?
This year, we change time on the night of Saturday October 29 to Sunday October 30, 2022. At 3am, it will be 2am. We will therefore gain an hour of sleep. As every year, the transition to winter time takes place on the last full weekend of October. What changes:
- The sun sets earlier
- We gain an hour of sleep
- Daylight saving time is set to GMT+21
Do we move the clock forward or backward?
This is always the big question! When switching to summer time, you must advance the hands of our watch by one hour (one full turn as in the clock image below). During the transition to winter time, we go backwards. Here’s a mnemonic to remember:
>> The transition to winter time takes place in OctoberD, we Dtherefore an hour.
>> The transition to summer time takes place around the month ofAVlaugh, we AVSo let’s go for an hour
Since when do we change time in France?
The time change is a measure that was introduced for the first time in France in 1916. It was abandoned from 1945 to 1975, then was put back in place in 1976, after the 1973 oil shock in the face of soaring oil prices. It was a question of saving the electricity produced at the time mainly by fuel oil, thanks to one hour of natural sunshine more in the evenings. the decree of September 19, 1975 formalizes the time change in mainland France. Overseas, the time change does not apply except in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Since 1998time change dates have been harmonized within the European Union.
On what dates will the time change take place in 2023?
In 2023, the transition to summer time will take place on the night of Saturday March 25 to Sunday March 26, at 2 a.m. The transition to winter time will take place on the night of Saturday 28 to Sunday 29 October. at 3am.
| Switching to summer time | Switching to winter time | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sunday March 27 | Sunday October 30 |
| 2023 | Sunday March 26 | Sunday October 29 |
| 2024 | Sunday March 31 | Sunday October 27 |
| 2025 | Sunday March 30 | Sunday October 26 |
It usually takes 3-4 days to fully cash out a time change.
The time change can disrupt biological rhythms. Hence the importance of anticipating it in order to better regulate oneself. “Two to three days before the summer time change, for example, it is advisable to go to bed slightly earlier than usual -about twenty minutes- in order to gradually shift and adapt to the new day/night cycle“, advises Dr. Catherine Lamblin, sleep doctor. Moreover, the day after the time change, “It would be better listen to our body and lie down when we feel tiredeven if it is not always easy with professional or family constraints“, continues our interlocutor. It usually takes 3-4 days to fully cash out a time change. Note that “evening” people will be more annoyed when switching to summer time and will have more difficulty getting up in the morning. On the other hand, the transition to summer time will happen without too much trouble for early goers.
Children are particularly sensitive to changes in sleep patterns. To help it adapt smoothly, try to anticipate the time change gradually shifting the key moments of the day such as meals, nap time, bath time, bedtime…
► For summer time: we advance meals and bedtime by a quarter of an hour 4 days before the transition to summer time. For example, the first day, we eat at 12:30 p.m., the second day at 12:15 p.m., the third day at 12 p.m. and the fourth day at 11:45 a.m. We close its shutters well so that the child is not disturbed by the light of day.
►For winter time: we delay meals and bedtime by a quarter of an hour 4 days before the transition to winter time. We do not hesitate to use a dawn simulator to facilitate awakenings.
Stop and last change of time: when will the end in France?
The time change has become common to the majority of Member States of the European Union since 1998 but the system is increasingly criticized. At the request of the European Parliament, the European Commission organized during thesummer 2018, an online consultation. From 4.6 million Europeans who participated, 84% were against the time change. On September 12, 2018, the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, declared that he wanted the end of the seasonal time change from 2019. In March 2019MEPs voted in favor of abolishing the time change as early as 2019. A few weeks later, they reconsidered their position and had finally decided to postpone this measure so that the Member States of the European Union can have time to decide whether they wish to use summer or winter time, in particular according to their time zones. However, with the Covid-19 crisis, the negotiations between the Parliament and the European Council could not take place and “the end of the time change is not relevant on the agenda of the European Council“, said EU Greens MEP Karima Delli at the HuffPost. The text at the end of the time change is no longer on the agenda and should not be discussed in the near future.
Thanks to Dr. Catherine Lamblin, sleep doctor.