daylight saving shifts our time with the seasons — bringing longer evenings in spring but disrupting our sleep, while its autumn end offers an extra hour of rest and a chance to embrace a slower rhythm

When Daylight Saving begins in the springtime here in southern Australia, it brings with it days that stretch further into the night, giving us more time to enjoy the outdoors in the warmer months. But the hour of sleep we lose at the onset of Daylight Saving can also be disruptive to our sleep patterns.

On the other hand, when Daylight Saving ends in autumn, we’re treated to an extra hour of slumber, making it easier to wake up in the morning and go to sleep come nightfall. Coinciding with the middle of autumn, the end of Daylight Saving can be the perfect time to craft new rituals and fall into the slow rhythm of the season.

Discover new rituals and routines

The transition out of Daylight Saving is easier on our body clocks than the transition into Daylight Saving. Many of us find we wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day, given our body thinks it’s an hour later than it really is.

This makes the end of Daylight Saving the perfect time to embrace a new morning routine: perhaps now is the moment to start booking into 6.30am exercise classes, or incorporating rituals such as brewing a cup of tea while you meditate, practising gentle stretching on the floor, journaling, or going outside to breathe in the crisp morning air and get your circadian rhythm ticking.

Lean into the restfulness encouraged by the season

When the clocks go back an hour on April 6, 2025, we get to enjoy an extra hour of sleep that Sunday morning – as if by magic. This occurs at a time of year when everything around us is beginning to slow down: in Taoism, autumn marks our journey into a more ‘yin’ time of year, which is characterised by softness, stillness and slowness.

As such, the suddenly darker evenings can be a reminder that this is the season to lean into rest and self care. The days are getting shorter from now until the winter solstice on June 21, so it’s time to pack less into our days and surrender to a slower pace.

Enjoy going to bed earlier

With the sun setting an hour earlier, our bodies produce more melatonin in response to it being darker outside. This regulates our sleep-wake cycle, and means we have a natural helping hand when it comes to going to bed. You can encourage this shift towards sleepiness (and better quality sleep) by harmonising with the low-light of night time: instead of turning on overhead lights when the sky darkens, stick to ambient light such as lamps, and avoid the blue light of devices at least half an hour before you go to bed.

Create a new sleep hygiene practice

In line with the gentleness and gracefulness of autumn, you might prioritise rest by focusing on sleep hygiene. Usher in new sleep hygiene practices such as meditation, breathwork, reading a hardcopy book or taking a bath before bed (bathing pre-bedtime helps signal to the body that it’s time to sleep). To truly sink into deep rest this autumn, immerse yourself in our rejuvenating hot springs or book into our Eco Lodge accommodation, which is designed around supporting sleep and circadian rhythms. With its misty mornings, mild days and cool nights, autumn is a dreamy time to visit the springs.