CLOCKS GO BACK TONIGHT

Well folks, that time of the year is here again - Autumn is well and truly upon us, which means it’s nearly time for the clocks to go back.

While this means darker mornings and evenings, turning the clocks back allows us to have more sunlight in the morning. Plus, on the day the clocks change we get an extra hour in bed too, so who is complaining.

Here’s everything you need to know about when and why the clocks go back:

When do the clocks going back in 2021?

This year, the clocks will go back an hour on SATURDAY NIGHT - SUNDAY MORNING AT 2am 30th October.

When this occurs, the UK will switch from British Summer Time (BST) to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

If you have a smartphone or device, the clock on it should automatically update in the early morning and your laptop and PC will do likewise. My bed side alarm clock also automatically re sets itself but the Grand Father clock we have to re set as we do the clocks around Hammy Hall.

The clocks went forward an hour on Sunday 28 March this year, which marked the beginning of British Summer Time.

Why do the clocks go back?

Following summer solstice, which this year occurred on Monday 21 June, the days gradually become shorter.

Therefore, by turning the clocks back an hour during autumn, this provides people with more sunlight in the morning although you'd be hard pressed to see this if getting up at 6am in darkness, so where exactly is this extra light ?

Turning the clocks forward in the spring brings lighter evenings.

Why was Daylight Saving Time introduced?

British Summer Time was first introduced as part of the Summer Time Act of 1916.

William Willett, an Edwardian builder and the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay’s Chris Martin, had devised a campaign in which he proposed that the clocks go forward in spring and back in winter so that people could spend more time outdoors during the day and save energy, hence the term Daylight Saving Time.

Willett wrote about his proposal in a pamphlet called The Waste of Daylight, which was published in 1907.

The government later adopted his ideas in 1916 during World War I - a year after Willett died - as politicians believed it would help reduce the demand for coal.

It was also suggested as a means to help farmers in the fields extend their working day - although with modern tractors with air conditioning and head lights, daylight does not stop modern farming when it gets dark as it once did.

While the Summer Time Act may have been established following Willett’s proposal, he wasn’t the first to put forward the idea of preserving daylight by changing the clocks.

In 1784, Benjamin Franklin wrote about a similar idea in a satirical letter sent to the editor of the Journal of Paris. In the letter, Franklin suggested if people got up earlier when it was lighter, it would make economic sense as it would save on candles.

The ancient Romans also followed a similar practice in order to use their time efficiently during the day.

Better sleep

Whether you’re changing the clock forward or backward, it can have a negative impact on a person’s circadian rhythm.

( Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark and affect most living things, including animals, plants, and microbes. Chronobiology is the study of circadian rhythms )

It can take five to seven days for your body to adjust to the new time schedule,, and that disruption in sleep can lead to even bigger health issues. If you own a pet that gets fed at a certain time every day you will notice they will take a week or so to get use to the new time for dindins.

I notice this when feeding the birds every morning on the garage roof. They expect me every day at a certain time and if I have a lay in on a Sunday - they are not there, they have gone to their next feeding port of call as I am sure they are in a timed routine like everyone else and at 7.30am every morning they gather on the roof of Room 7 waiting - but if I don't come down until 8.30am - not a single bird whereas there is usually at least 20 - 30 when I am on time.

Every living thing evolves around time - the dawn - the midday sun - the sun set - and the moon cycles.

Reduced risk of heart issues

Research has found the spring DST changes are associated with a 24 percent increase in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) events on the Monday following the change and switching our clocks may increase the risk of heart attacks. While the research hasn’t indicated why this may be, those who experienced an increased risk were mostly people who were already predisposed to experiencing heart issues. Still, if ending the time change could lower the risk, it’s possible that more lives could be saved.