Long summer days ahead as the clocks go forward this month

People can expect to lose an hour in bed as the clocks are set to go forward this month. 

Due to Daylight Savings Time - the practice of advancing clocks during the summer months so darkness falls at a later clock time - the clocks will go forward by one hour on Sunday March 31 at 1am. 

This means the new time will be 2am, giving people one less hour in bed. 

The clocks will then go back by one hour in October 2024 to allow for more time in bed during the dark winters. 

The practice of Daylight Savings - an idea first put forward by United States founding father, Benjamin Franklin - has been observed for over 100 years. 

However, it may not be used for much longer in the European Union (EU). 

In 2019, the European Parliament voted to remove daylight energy saving time permanently, however this plan was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.