Surviving Daylight Savings Time

Well, it's that time of year again, when the majority of us in the United States try to squeeze just another hour of useful daylight out of the day by moving our clocks back by an hour. In the northern climes, where I live, this is a critical tradition, as just before we move the clocks, many of us arrive at work in the dark, and get home in the dark. That's depressing, and Daylight Saving Time is a solution that buys us at least another month of afternoons.

Starting in 2007, as an energy saving measure, Daylight Savings Time will end on the first Sunday in November, rather than on the last Sunday in April, as was the case in recent years. Benefits are thought to include increased retail sales nationwide (shoppers are more likely to leave home when it's light out), increased public safety (automobile accidents are more prevalent after dark, and Daylight Saving Time means more commuters do so during daylight). Daylight Saving Time in the US begins on the Second Sunday of March. The phrases "spring ahead, fall backward," or "spring forward, fall back," are common mnemonic devices to help people to remember which direction to move their clocks.

In the United States, each time zone switches as a different time, at 2am local time. This is of little consequence to most, as the majority of citizens are asleep during the actual time change. The most common practice is to change the clocks in your home before going to bed on Saturday night.

There are a number of US states and territories which do not observe Daylight Saving Time, including Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Until recently, several counties and municipalities in Indiana opted not to observe the time change as well, but the resultant confusion caused the state to come on board in 2005.

As a best practice in terms of home and office safety, many fire departments encourage people to change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every time they change their clocks and watches for Daylight Saving Time. You can apply this to other periodic tasks that you need to take carte of every six months or so - updating your calendar with birthdays and events, renewing subscriptions for periodicals or websites, or cleaning out the basement - the time change to and from Daylight Saving Time can serve as a hard-to-miss reminder.

Every year, a number of people miss appointments or are late to work on the day following the time change. These mistakes can be minimized, if not avoided completely by marking your calendar, setting up reminders on your computer, or signing up for the mailing list at Seize The Daylight. to receive a reminder email.

Remember that the official term for this wacky time change we make is "Daylight Saving Time," and not the commonly used, "Daylight Savings Time." Google searches and the like will bring in much more reliable results with a correctly-worded search.

That's a short and simple primer on Daylight Saving Time and some suggestions on how to get through this seasonal switch. Don't forget to get to be early in the fall, as we lose an hour of sleep. Reset your clocks, hit the sack, and enjoy the sunlight!