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Don’t forget: Daylight saving starts on Sunday

Aussies in several states will lose an hour of sleep on Sunday, October 2.

Aussies in several states will lose an hour of sleep on Sunday, October 2. Photo: TND

Daylight saving will come into effect this Sunday morning, with many states set to lose an hour of sleep.

Clocks will move forward at 2am on October 2, for residents of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and Norfolk Island.

If you are in Queensland, the Northern Territory or Western Australia, rest easy because these states do not observe daylight saving.

A lost hour

People in most states will lose an hour of sleep when clocks are brought forward by an hour.

On Sunday, if you wake at 11am, for example, you will need to change your clocks to noon.

Here’s a fun mnemonic device to help remember which way the clocks go: ‘Spring forward and Fall back’ (or Autumn for us Aussies).

Clock on

Smartphones, smartwatches and other ‘smart’ digital devices adjust automatically to daylight saving time.

Other clocks need to be manually adjusted – everything from wall clocks and alarm clocks, to microwaves and car clocks.

Many digital clocks have a daylight-saving switch, which users can flick on and off to bring the clock forwards or backwards.

Don’t lose sleep over it

So, is there anything you can do to make the transition easier?

The key is to adjust your body clock gradually, starting a few days out. Here are some tips for getting ready for daylight saving time.

  • Go to bed 15-20 minutes earlier for a few days before you put the clocks forward
  • Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier on Friday and Saturday mornings in preparation for the earlier start on Sunday
  • Make the bedroom as bright as possible when you first wake up and get outside into the sun in the early morning
  • Try to get between seven and nine hours sleep each night
  • Avoid exercise within three hours of sleep time.

States that don’t save daylight

Queensland trialled daylight saving for three years between 1989 and 1992.

It was rejected in a 1992 referendum, when 54.5 per cent of Queenslanders voted against joining the rest of the east coast.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner led a renewed push for daylight saving earlier this year; he campaigned for another referendum in line with the next state election in 2024.

Western Australia trialled daylight saving numerous times and held four referendums on the matter, the latest in 2009, when it was again rejected.

There isn’t much interest in daylight saving in the Northern Territory with the last trial held during World War II.

On the positive side

Although daylight saving may throw biological clocks temporarily out of whack, there are key benefits.

By bringing clocks forward, states have an extra hour of daylight in the afternoon and evening.

Daylight saving also means that people’s active hours coincide with daylight, so they can make the most of warm, summer days.

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