We can all get an extra hour of rest tonight as clocks turn back for winter time... but it could possibly be one of the last switchovers.

The clocks will be going backward on Sunday at 2am. While your smartphone and laptops will update automatically, analog clocks and other digital clocks, like car and oven clocks, will need to be changed manually.

The clocks go forward again on Sunday, March 31 next year.

But this unpopular practice could soon be destined to history.

The European Commission said it would allowing each member state to decide by April whether they prefer permanently having the standard time or daylight savings time.

This follows an EU survey where 80 per cent of Europeans said they were opposed to the clock changes.