Overview
- The DAK‑Gesundheit commission of a nationwide Forsa survey in late September 2026 found 71 percent of Germans call the half‑year clock change unnecessary, a five‑point drop from last year and the lowest level since about 2015.
- Support for abolishing the switches fell most among 18–29 year olds, dropping from 66 percent to 50 percent within a year while 39 percent of that group now view the change as sensible.
- Nearly three in ten respondents (29 percent) say they have experienced health or psychological problems after a clock change, with 80 percent of those affected reporting pronounced tiredness, 63 percent sleep problems, 41 percent concentration issues, and 37 percent irritability.
- Chronobiologists warn a one‑hour shift can desynchronize the body’s circadian clock and act like a short jetlag by upsetting light‑driven sleep cues, meal timing and cell‑level rhythms, slowing recovery for days in some people.
- Policy remains stalled: the European Parliament backed ending seasonal changes in 2019 but member states have not reached an agreement, so the clocks will still roll back for winter on the night of 25 October 2026.