Daylight Saving Time 2020: When To Spring Forward
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| Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash |
Daylight saving time, often incorrectly called daylight savings time, is about to begin in U.S. states, except for Arizona and Hawaii.
If you're wary of short winter days, take heart: Daylight saving time begins Sunday, March 8, when most Americans will set their clocks ahead one hour — or, as the maxim goes, spring forward. It'll likely be dark when you wake up, but you'll also get an extra hour of daylight.
Hawaii doesn't observe daylight saving time at all, nor do U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The time switch also passes without notice in Arizona, except in the Navajo Nation, which takes part in the biannual clock change to and from daylight saving time.
That can lead to a fair amount of confusion.
Arizona is in the Mountain Time Zone, but from March to the end of daylight saving time — that's Nov. 1 this year — the Grand Canyon state has the same time as the Pacific Time Zone.
Daylight saving time has been around since World War I. But it became the law of the land more than 50 years ago with the Uniform Time Act of 1966, though the exact dates — now the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November — have changed some over the years. Arizona cited its hot climate in getting an exception, and Hawaii cited its tropical latitude, which means there isn't much variation in daylight in the summer and winter months.
Buoyed by research that shows health, crime and economic benefits to ditching the biannual switch of the clocks, lawmakers in at least 40 states have entertained the idea of adopting a year-round time in a patchwork of bills, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Some want to go to daylight saving time year-round, while others prefer year-round standard time. Massachusetts is considering going year-round to Atlantic Standard Time, the same time in places such as Nova Scotia and Puerto Rico, but the change would not take effect unless New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island agreed to do the same.
Difficulty adjusting to the loss of an hour's sleep with the switch to daylight saving time isn't just psychological.
Researchers have linked the beginning of daylight saving time to increases in the short-term risk of a heart attack, fatal car crashes and even harsher sentences for criminal defendants when judges are sleepy.
The energy savings touted with the Uniform Time Act of 1966 have also been called into question in an increasing number of studies that suggest there's not much benefit to daylight saving time.
Tips To Help Adjust
So, what are the best ways to avoid sleep deprivation? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this already affects about one-third of adults in the United States.
Here are some tips:
- You know it's coming. Go to bed an hour early Saturday, and make sure you get seven to eight hours of sleep.
- Get the kids to bed early, too. They pay more attention to their internal clocks than timepieces, so implement the routine Saturday night to help them adjust to the lighter-than-usual bedtime, so they'll be set up for a good night's sleep before school Monday.
- Be patient with the kids. They may throw temper tantrums or show signs of frustration, but it's usually short-lived. Adults can also be cranky during the first several days after the time switch. You'll get over it, too.
- New baby? Pretend nothing has changed. That means taking the baby outside, even if it's cold, to help the baby's internal clock adjust. Getting 30 minutes of sunlight first thing in the morning will help you, too.
- Limit your vices. That shot of booze may seem like a good idea, but it will fragment your sleep. And, of course, limit your caffeine intake in the late afternoon and evening. Chamomile tea or a glass of warm milk is a better choice.
- Don't eat a big meal right before bedtime, either.
- If you are using the extra hour of daylight at the end of the day for exercise, make sure your session ends at least three hours before bedtime, because the energy boost that exercise gives you can cause insomnia.
- Wind down with a relaxing activity, such as a warm bath or shower, gentle stretching or yoga.
- Let the sunshine in. Experts say that pulling back the curtains and allowing the sun to shine in the windows in the morning improves alertness during the day. You're also more likely to feel sleepy when it is time to go to bed.
- Turn off the bright lights an hour or two before you go to bed — yes, even the television, your computer, and other electronic devices. Read a relaxing book or listen to soothing music instead.
- Don't give in to the urge for a long nap. Take a brief power nap if you need it, but longer naps will disrupt your sleep schedule and make it more difficult to adjust to daylight saving time.
- Make your bedroom is a sleep sanctuary — dark, quiet, well ventilated and at a slightly cooler temperature.
This release was originally written and published by Beth Dalbey, Patch Staff
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