Daylight Saving Time

Filed in archive General Health on March 6, 2007

Every spring we set our clocks ahead one hour. Every fall we set them back again. It's supposed to save energy by giving us more hours of sunlight. Well, I don;'t know about you, but for me it has me completely disoriented for about a week. I wander around asking myself - So, what time is it, really?

I was hoping the powers that be would realize how futile the time change has become, what with lights everywhere. But no. Instead, they've lengthened the period of daylight saving time. The LA Times tells us:

Daylight saving time begins three weeks earlier this year and lasts one week longer - welcome news for people who relish the extra afternoon light to garden, ride a bicycle, walk the dog or just take out the trash when they can still see the curb.

But the extension, which begins Sunday, could actually make millions of Americans feel less sunny. For those people - suffering from seasonal affective disorder or its milder cousin, winter blues - the corresponding reduction in morning light may worsen or lengthen their depression, doctors and mood experts say.

All Info About Sleep offers some timely tips for coping with the twice-yearly time change:

• Move into the new time zone immediately. Don't try to do it gradually. That only prolongs the process. Don't look at the clock and wonder "What time is it, really?" Move meal times and bedtime to your new schedule. You can begin working up to this a few days before the actual time change if you prefer.
  


• Avoid things like late night parties or over-indulgence in food or alcohol. Go to bed early to assure you'll be rested in the morning.
  


• If you haven't been indulging in afternoon naps, don't start now, just to combat feeling sleepy from the time change.
  


• The time changes twice a year - spring and fall. Make this a reminder to check things like the battery in the smoke detector. In the fall, if you're in northern climes, this would be an ideal time to winterize your vehicle and your home. Is your heating system up to standard? How's the furnace filter? Does your cold weather wardrobe need revamping?