As the clocks go back today, I can’t help thinking of Coldplay’s Chris Martin — whose great-great-grandfather, William Willett, first proposed the idea of Daylight Saving Time in 1905. Willett was a London builder who loved early mornings and couldn’t bear to see the sunlight wasted while people slept. He campaigned tirelessly to “save daylight,” and his idea finally became law during World War I to conserve coal.
Over a century later, a quarter of the world still follows his invention — yet we now understand much more about how time changes affect our bodies and brains.
Our circadian rhythms, or inner clocks, regulate everything from mood and sleep to digestion and focus. When we artificially shift time — even by an hour — it can unsettle these delicate systems. For those with sensory sensitivities or neurodivergent profiles, this change can feel especially disorientating: sleep patterns shift, energy dips, and emotional balance wobbles for days afterwards.
So, should we still be changing the clocks?
🌞 Advantages:
• More daylight for leisure and outdoor play
• Slight energy savings and reduced evening electricity use
• Safer evenings with fewer road accidents
🌒 Disadvantages:
• Disrupted sleep and body rhythms
• Darker mornings impacting alertness, safety, and wellbeing
• Heightened stress for those sensitive to sensory or environmental change
Perhaps the lesson from Willett’s legacy isn’t about saving daylight at all — but about saving balance: noticing how light, routine, and rhythm shape our wellbeing.
🌿 A Sensory Note for Parents and Practitioners
For children (and adults) with sensitive sensory systems, even a one-hour clock change can feel like jet lag. It can influence sleep, appetite, focus and mood — all controlled by our body’s inner timekeeper.
To ease the transition:
🕕 Try adjusting bedtime gradually during the week before — 5–10 minutes earlier each night until the new time feels natural.
🌤️ Increase morning light exposure to help reset circadian rhythms.
🌙 Keep evening routines familiar and predictable — the comfort of routine helps anchor the body when time cues shift.
💤 Allow for a few days of adjustment, and offer gentle reassurance — some bodies simply need time to “find their rhythm” again.
Sometimes it’s not the clock that needs changing — it’s the pace we expect ourselves and our children to keep.
