Winter time: getting back to a comfortable sleep routine
The clocks have gone back an hour, but adjusting at home is not always instant. Here is how to adapt mornings, evenings and children's routines, and when tiredness needs checking.
What changed on the clock and in the day
On Sunday, 25 October 2026, Israel switched to winter time: at 02:00 the clocks went back to 01:00. To adjust, try to keep a regular wake-up time and a calm evening. The time change may make you feel hungry or sleepy earlier than usual, even when your phone already shows the correct time. How long it takes to adjust varies from person to person, and there is no need to force a sharp change in every household habit.
Also check clocks that do not update automatically, especially alarm clocks and timers. The daylight has not disappeared because the hands moved: sunrise and sunset now appear an hour earlier on the clock, so the trip home from work may happen in the dark.
Start the morning with light and a steady pace
At your planned wake-up time, open the shutters, and when there is daylight try to fit in a short time outdoors, for example on the way to work or to daycare. Daylight helps the body tell active hours from rest hours. If you woke up long before you wanted to, there is no need to make the house bright and noisy straight away; you can stay with a quiet activity until the day begins.
Keep wake-up times as similar as possible at the weekend too, and leave enough time at night for sleep according to your needs. If a late nap makes it hard to fall asleep, try skipping it or having it earlier. Shift workers and parents of babies need to adapt these suggestions to their own schedules.
Adjust the evening and children's routines
Before bed, reduce bright lighting, put screens aside and choose a calm activity that repeats each night. The Ministry of Health guidelines for good sleep emphasize regular hours, a pleasant environment and avoiding caffeine in the evening. Adults can start by swapping a late coffee for a caffeine-free drink and stopping work before getting into bed, without expecting every change to work on the first night.
For children, keep the familiar sequence of dinner, bath and story. If they fall asleep or wake up early, gradually adjust meal and sleep times, without forcibly keeping an exhausted child awake. Coordinating with the kindergarten can help keep things consistent, but babies still need feeding and sleep according to their age and their signs of hunger and tiredness.
Prepare for driving when it gets dark early
A route you drove in daylight may now be dark at after-school pickup time. Before driving, check that your lights work and the windows are clean, and switch your lights on as darkness falls. Adjust your speed to how far you can see, keep your distance and pay attention to pedestrians near crossings and to children stepping out between parked cars.
Plan your children's way home in advance too, with a well-lit route and supervision suited to their age. If you feel drowsy, do not start driving; if tiredness comes on during the trip, stop in a safe, designated place. An open window and music are no substitute for rest.
When tiredness needs a medical check
Not all tiredness is related to the clock change. If it lasts several weeks without improving, or is already affecting work, school or daily functioning, see your family doctor or pediatrician. It is also worth seeing a doctor when there is loud snoring with pauses in breathing, a marked change in mood or new symptoms. A short log of sleep and waking times can help in that conversation.
Do not start melatonin or sleep medication for children without medical advice. With new and severe chest pain, significant shortness of breath or loss of consciousness, do not wait for a regular appointment: call 101 for Magen David Adom.
