Romania will switch to winter time this weekend, on the night of October 26 to 27 (Saturday to Sunday), when the clocks will go back one hour. This means that 4:00 AM on Sunday will become 3:00 AM. A recent study revealed, however, that half of Romanians see the time change as unnecessary, and most are affected by this transition.

Most smartphones, computers, or other devices connected to the internet update the time automatically, but some other watches or clocks might require manual time reset. 

According to the railways company CFR, the hour change will not modify the train schedule in Romania.

A study by Reveal Marketing Research set out to find out Romanians' opinions about the change to winter time and to provide an overview of how this change affects their daily routine and well-being. It found that 1 out of 2 Romanians believe the time change is not necessary. Also, 47% of respondents said that this change affects their personal life to a small extent, while 30% mentioned a moderate influence, and 24% a significant impact on everyday life.

At the same time, 8 out of 10 Romanians noticed changes in mood with the transition to winter time, the most common being fatigue during the day (41%), sleepiness (36%), depressed mood (17%), or difficulty concentrating or remembering (16%).

Even though the nights are getting longer, which theoretically translates into more sleep time, the Reveal Marketing Research study results showed that switching to winter time does not mean better sleep quality. 49% of Romanians said that they sleep worse after the time change, 40% mentioned that their sleep remains the same, while 11% stated that they rest better.

To better adapt to the transition to winter time, Romanians try to fall asleep earlier (30%) and adjust their work schedule or activities (24%). Also, 13% consume more coffee or energy drinks, and 11% exercise more.

As for the opinion related to the elimination of the time change, 49% of Romanians believe this would positively influence the rhythm of life. On the other hand, 35% of respondents believe this measure would make no difference, while 17% think it would negatively influence everyday life.

In recent years, there have been discussions about abandoning the time change both in Romania and in the rest of Europe. In March 2019, the European Parliament voted to end the practice of adjusting clocks by an hour in spring and autumn, but the implementation of this decision was postponed, according to Digi24.

The winter time will end in March, when Romania will move its clocks forward one hour.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Vadreams/Dreamstime.com)