Daylight saving time begins on October 1 in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, ACT and Tasmania

The concept for daylight saving originated in New Zealand in the 1890s when a post office worker and amateur entomologist (insect scientist) proposed the idea of changing the clocks to increase periods of daylight leisure in the evening after work.

George Hudson is credited with the idea, which is used in at least 70 countries and impacts approximately 1.6 billion people worldwide.

According to the Sleep Health Foundation, putting the clocks forward at the beginning of daylight saving in spring is highly disruptive to our bodies.

This is because the change throws our circadian rhythms out of sync when we are suddenly required to wake at a time when the body clock is still programmed for sleep.

It suggests adjusting your bedtime earlier several nights in advance of the transition.

Digital clocks, including on your mobile, will change automatically but manual clocks will need to be put forward an hour on Sunday.

Originally used in Australia as a way to help save energy costs during WWI, today Australian states and territories decide if they want to observe daylight saving.

Australia is the world's sixth largest country and is divided into three separate time zones.

In 1992 Queenslanders voted "no" to a referendum proposing the introduction of daylight saving in the sunshine state.

Earlier this year Brisbane's Lord Mayor once again said it was time to bring Queensland into synchronicity with the southern states and have a fresh vote on whether to implement the time change as the state prepares to host the 2032 Olympics.

Daylight saving has been trialled several times in WA and the state has held four referendums on the issue, the most recent in 2009 when voters rejected the proposal.

The topic was raised in the west again last year when Daylight Savings Party leader Wilson Tucker drafted a bill that would align WA with NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and Norfolk Island during the summer months.

The Northern Territory does not observe daylight saving.

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In recent years research has highlighted the disruption to our body clock caused by getting up an hour earlier may have significant health related repercussions, including a higher incidence of depression.

Studies have also shown that your risk of having a heart attack increases in the two weeks after the changeover.